In a move to cater to the changing viewing habits of sports fans, the NBA is set to revolutionize the fan experience by incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) into its mobile app. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver showcased the AI technology during February’s Tech Summit, demonstrating how it would transform the way fans interact with games when using the league’s app.
“There is a need to see the NBA making strides to use AI,” said Alex Beckman, CEO of ON, a leading AI chat platform. “What we see is brands that have invested early – that have gotten a head start – (are) now making strides (into) that second and third tiers of AI and how it can touch fans.”
While specific details about the AI technology remain under wraps, one of its features is expected to enable full animation, allowing users to animate players or make the game appear like a movie. During the demonstration, Silver requested the tool to transform a live game “as if it were a Spider-Man movie.” Within moments, players turned into cartoon characters, dramatic music played, and digital effects associated with the popular comic book were added.
“Today, AI is creating a similar excitement to what we saw around the early days of the internet,” Silver acknowledged during the preview. “Intuitively, most of us have a sense that artificial intelligence is going to change our lives.”
To assist Silver in the presentation, San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama showcased the technology’s live translation capabilities by swiftly changing the language of a famous sports movie from English to French.
The future implications of AI in the NBA are still uncertain, but it is clear that AI has the potential to transform the way fans engage with the sport. While current AI interactions revolve around text-based platforms like ChatGPT or voice assistants such as Siri and Google Assistant, OpenAI has been pushing for the development of video-generated content through various algorithms.
AI technology in sports does present both pros and cons. Concerns have been raised about AI potentially circumventing athlete NIL rights through the use of AI versions. On the positive side, AI fosters healthy competition between sports leagues and teams to produce next-generation entertainment options that enhance fan engagement.
“The brands that got their heads around [AI] early are now having successful launches and innovations on top of that … first layer of interaction. And it’s nice to see the NBA leading in that category,” Beckman commented.
Although the NB-AI technology is still in its early stages, Wembanyama believes that the coming months and years will play a significant role in its development. The future holds exciting possibilities for AI in the NBA, and fans can look forward to an enhanced viewing experience that blends the worlds of technology and sports.
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