From the beloved strawberries and cream to the iconic all-white dress code, Wimbledon is known for its adherence to tradition. However, a recent move to incorporate AI-generated commentary into the tournament has faced criticism from prominent figures in the tennis world. Annabel Croft, a former player and current BBC commentator, expressed her disdain for the AI counterpart, describing it as “stiff” and “emotionless.” She even went so far as to claim that such technology would “kill humanity.”
The controversy arose as corporate sponsor IBM trialed AI commentary on highlights reels for the Wimbledon website and app. Croft, who commentates alongside John McEnroe, Tim Henman, and Johanna Konta, voiced her concerns about the lack of emotion and humanity in the AI commentary. She called it a “race against the robot for your job” and expressed her hope that viewers would reject the use of AI commentary.
Scottish sports broadcaster Andrew Cotter echoed Croft’s sentiment, lamenting the absence of humor and emotion in AI commentary. While he believes that, in the future, AI could sound indistinguishable from a human commentator, he emphasized that the essence of sports lies in its emotions.
Despite the criticism, Kevin Farrar, IBM Sports Partnerships Leader, sees AI as a complementary component to human involvement. He believes that AI commentary can be valuable for matches that currently lack human commentary, such as the seniors, juniors, and wheelchair events. Wimbledon’s tournament director, Jamie Baker, has even considered the possibility of replacing on-court officials with AI.
As the controversy over AI commentary unfolds, the tournament continues with men’s world number three Daniil Medvedev and women’s number two Aryna Sabalenka both just one match away from reaching the final. Notably, their matches coincided with Queen Elizabeth’s presence in the Royal Box on Centre Court, which means the monarch did not witness their victories.
In conclusion, while Wimbledon embraces tradition, the inclusion of AI-generated commentary has sparked criticism from tennis personalities like Annabel Croft and Andrew Cotter. They argue that AI lacks the essential human elements of emotion and humor. Nevertheless, proponents like Kevin Farrar believe that AI can enhance the tournament’s coverage, particularly for matches without human commentary. As the tournament progresses, Medvedev and Sabalenka advance, and the prospect of AI replacing on-court officials looms in the background.
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