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AI in Sport: Cutting Through the Hype

ThinkSport’s Spotlight on AI Tackles the Big Questions

It was only a matter of time before artificial intelligence found its way into the heart of sports innovation, and ThinkSport was ready to tackle the big questions head-on.

At our latest Spotlight session, the air at Maison du Sport International (MSI) in Lausanne was thick with curiosity, cautious optimism, and just a hint of existential dread. How far have AI tools actually come in shaping the way we work, strategise, and, let’s be honest, waste a perfectly good afternoon arguing with an algorithm?

Would AI prove to be a game-changer for sports management? Or was it just another fancy tech gimmick that creates more work than it saves? Spoiler: it’s complicated.


The Big Question: Are We Saving Time, or Just Making a Mess Faster?

AI tools promise efficiency, insight, and automation—but are they actually delivering? Or are we simply stuck in an infinite loop of generating, fact-checking, rewording, re-fact-checking, and then finally just doing it ourselves?

The experts at ThinkSport’s Spotlight session shared their insights on the evolving role of AI in sports management—where it excels, where it stumbles, and where it still needs a serious pep talk.


Key Takeaways from the Session

1. Garbage In, Garbage Out – The AI Diet Matters

Let’s get one thing straight: AI is not magic. It’s not a crystal ball, and it certainly won’t fix your problems if you feed it vague, outdated, or wildly inaccurate data.

AI thrives in structured, open-data environments, but many sports organisations operate in closed systems, where AI has little to no quality fuel to work with. And much like an elite athlete on a strict diet of fast food, you can’t expect peak performance if the input is junk.

The discussion also delved into the evolution of AI agents—sophisticated models that collaborate and share information to create synergy rather than just spitting out isolated results. The future of AI in sport lies in these specialised systems working together, automating tasks, and delivering better, faster insights.


2. AI Doesn’t Replace Expertise—It Amplifies It

If you’ve ever dreamed of outsourcing your entire job to AI so you can finally take that long-overdue skiing holiday, bad news: AI is only as good as the person using it.

A common misconception? That AI will instantly turn amateurs into experts. The truth? It doesn’t replace knowledge—it amplifies it.

Whether it’s analysing game stats, drafting event reports, or optimising venue operations, AI can assist—but decision-making still requires human intuition, experience, and occasionally, common sense.

A lively debate unfolded around AI-powered content generation. Can AI produce articles (yes, like this one)? Absolutely. Can it capture the nuances of a seasoned professional? Not quite. The consensus?

AI is a great co-pilot—but you probably don’t want it flying the plane alone (yet).


A Huge Thank You to Our Speakers and Participants

A massive thank you to our fantastic speakers for sharing their expertise and keeping the conversation on AI in sport both insightful and entertaining:

🎤 Philippe Bourdarias (Sword Group)
🎤 Julien Buhajezuk (AISTS – International Academy of Sport Science and Technology)
🎤 Eric Solem (WeTrack – A Momentus Technologies company)
🎤 Michael Dawkins (SWORD)
🎤 Ben Hanzen (Google)

And, of course, a big thank you to everyone who attended and contributed to the discussions—whether you were challenging AI’s capabilities, questioning its ethics, or just trying to figure out how to get ChatGTP to write an email that doesn’t sound like a robot.


What’s Next? AI Takes Centre Stage at THE SPOT

If this Spotlight session left you wanting more, we’ve got good news—AI will once again take centre stage at THE SPOT, ThinkSport’s flagship event for sports innovation.

Earlybird ticket sales open next week, and trust us, you won’t want to miss it. Expect even bigger discussions, deeper dives into AI’s potential, and plenty of real-world applications that will shape the future of sport.

Stay tuned, grab your ticket, and join us as we push the conversation—and the technology—forward.

🚀 And in the spirit of the event, we should mention—this entire article has been fully generated by ChatGTP as an exercise in testing exactly what we’ve been talking about. Let the debates begin. 😉