Data expert Inderpal Bhandari emphasized the benefits and significance of artificial intelligence in sports at an event hosted by the Northwestern Network for Collaborative Intelligence on Tuesday.
Bhandari, who recently served as the chief data officer for IBM, recounted his experience creating and implementing the Advanced Scout system for the NBA, initially working with the New York Knicks. Advanced Scout uses data mining — the process of finding valuable information in large datasets — to help teams recognize statistical patterns they can use to their advantage.
In its early stages, the system used basic box score data to find subtle patterns in player stats, which Bhandari said limited its ability to provide substantial help to teams.
“You’re basically giving these teams a cannon, but they don’t really have the right ammunition for that cannon,” Bhandari said.
He said as technology evolved and AI became more prevalent, teams were able to receive more in-depth insights on both statistics and gameplay.
He recounted multiple instances in Advanced Scout’s early years when some coaches were reluctant to trust data mining technology and implement its suggestions, especially when its analysis revealed statistical patterns that challenged certain players’ perceived in-game value.
Even today, some sports professionals and fans are hesitant to allow the use of advanced statistics, Bhandari said. He also acknowledged that AI and data mining software can provide helpful insights that humans are sometimes unable to recognize.
However, he emphasized that the software will not replace the entertainment aspect of sports.
“There is that unpredictability, that’s why people show up to watch these games,” Bhandari said. “AI is not going to replace the human element.”
McCormick junior and avid sports fan Jeremy Kim said he is also interested in machine learning. He added that he is excited about the possibilities that new technology can bring to sports and that it is important to keep up with the newest advancements.
Like Bhandari, he said most fans do not watch sports for statistical optimization.
“People enjoy sports because it’s like getting to watch people perform at the pinnacle of humanity,” Kim said.
Bhandari also said technology’s ability to find specific gameplay trends and statistics alone is not enough to help teams win games. Franchises still need both experts to interpret the statistical output and talented players to actually implement the technology’s suggestions, he added.
“AI is not going to replace humans, but it’s going to help augment humans,” said McCormick Prof. V.S. Subrahmanian, NNCI founding co-director and one of the event’s organizers.
Subrahmanian said the sports analytics job market will not completely disappear due to the implementation of AI. However, it will likely favor those who are more familiar with how to apply the technology.
Bhandari concluded by speaking about the unlimited potential AI has in sports now that it can analyze videos. He explained that this development represents significant progress since raw box score statistics were previously the only tool the technology could analyze.
“You can’t afford not to use it,” Bhandari said, “because you’re definitely going to be left out.”
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