It seems that artificial intelligence (AI) is always just five years away, but it never arrives. Recently, however, developments have made the practical utility of game theory a genuine reality. Will sport provide the petri dish in which AI will prove itself? What do domain specialists like managers and coaches want to know that they can't currently find out, and can AI provide the answer? What competitive advantages might AI provide for recruitment, performance and tactics, health and fitness, pedagogy, broadcasting, eSports, gambling and stadium design in the future? Written by leading experts in both sports management and AI, AI for Sports begins to answer these and many other questions on the future of AI for sports.
"Artificial Intelligence can drive your car, select your favourite music and outfox grandmasters at the chessboard, but it is also becoming a crucial tool in global sports. AI is now able to predict when athletes are most likely to suffer injuries and which areas of their body are most at risk of fatigue. We are at the beginning of the AI age in sports and the next decade is likely to see it become increasingly important to all athletes and teams. In AI for Sports, Brady, Tuyls, and Omidshafiei give readers a glimpse into the future and explain just why AI is not only here to stay, but how it will become central to the thinking of team owners, coaches and athletes." -- Mark Ogden, ESPN Senior Football Writer
"AI for Sports is the perfect book for the perfect moment; this time when sports are changing rapidly; and teams, executives and athletes are looking at the games that people play through new, fresh and important lenses. Brady, Tuyls, and Omidshafiei explore that new landscape in a unique way, examining the exploding corner of artificial intelligence through a sports-specific lens, but also, and this is important, looking ahead to potential pitfalls to a relatively new approach. For readers who enjoy learning about teams, their famous processes, and how building rosters and getting the most out of players are changing, they won't be disappointed." -- Greg Bishop, Senior Writer at Sports Illustrated
"By providing unique and challenging problems to be solved, and supported by decades' worth of high-dimensional data streams, the Sports sector can contribute immensely to the development of Artificial Intelligence. In AI for Sports, Brady, Tuyls, & Omidshafiei discuss many different angles and applications within sport which can be supported or improved by the use of AI. It is a truly valuable resource for sports enthusiasts to learn how sports will evolve with the advent of advanced AI, and also for those working in theoretical AI domains to understand the nature of real-world applications and challenges posed by the sports sector." -- Varuna De-Silva, Senior Lecturer in Machine Intelligence, Loughborough University
"AI for Sports is the perfect book for the perfect moment; this time when sports are changing rapidly; and teams, executives and athletes are looking at the games that people play through new, fresh and important lenses. Brady, Tuyls, and Omidshafiei explore that new landscape in a unique way, examining the exploding corner of artificial intelligence through a sports-specific lens, but also, and this is important, looking ahead to potential pitfalls to a relatively new approach. For readers who enjoy learning about teams, their famous processes, and how building rosters and getting the most out of players are changing, they won't be disappointed." -- Greg Bishop, Senior Writer at Sports Illustrated
"By providing unique and challenging problems to be solved, and supported by decades' worth of high-dimensional data streams, the Sports sector can contribute immensely to the development of Artificial Intelligence. In AI for Sports, Brady, Tuyls, & Omidshafiei discuss many different angles and applications within sport which can be supported or improved by the use of AI. It is a truly valuable resource for sports enthusiasts to learn how sports will evolve with the advent of advanced AI, and also for those working in theoretical AI domains to understand the nature of real-world applications and challenges posed by the sports sector." -- Varuna De-Silva, Senior Lecturer in Machine Intelligence, Loughborough University