The new Wimbledon service will be separate to the BBC’s coverage for the 3 July-16 July tournament and IBM’s AI team claim the technology has been trained in the “unique language of tennis” with the help of the All England Club.
IBM said the first set of AI commentary will be available after the first day of play today (Monday), following a similar generative solution at the US Masters golf tournament in April.
If fan reactions are anything to go by, legendary golf commentator Jim Nantz won’t be dusting down his curriculum vitae any time soon.
When golf writer Stephen Hennessey posted a sample video of the AI Masters spoken demo fans reacted mostly with ‘Mute’ memes and excoriating anti-AI opinion, framed best by one disgruntled golf enthusiast on Twitter,
‘Does it (IBM Watson AI commentary) ever get excited about shots and not speak like a robot?’
Although the generative AI commentary of the Masters Tournament was received negatively within the social media sports fan community, it still attracted 2.5 million views on mister Hennessey’s Twitter account alone.
It will be some time before artificial intelligence masters what the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) has condemned as ‘completely unacceptable’ behaviour displayed by MMC members in the Long Room yesterday (Sunday).
Jonny Bairstow was controversially stumped by Alex Carey on the final day at Lord’s, with the ball interpreted as still moving when the England batsman walked out of his crease.
Anger and outrage at the manner of Bairstow’s dismissal infiltrated the gentile Long Room at Lord’s, where Australian players Usman Khawaja and David Warner were involved in altercations with MCC members – three of whom were later suspended by Marylebone Cricket Club.