Week 7 Blog – Emerging Technologies: Ready or Not, Here it Comes!


Wow! This week presented a lot of exciting content! To be honest, I found the article by Andriole (2017) to be the least informative, and I took Gartner’s 10 technological predictions with a grain of salt knowing that previous weeks have pointed out how inaccurate we typically are with predicting what things will be useful in the future. Instead, I thought both of Kelly’s videos this week regarding the future of the web were more interesting and thought-provoking.  Kelly’s (2017) assertion that technology gives us a sense of where it is going but doesn’t provide specifics on what will be developed makes sense. I also agree that the continual improvement and development of artificial intelligence (AI) with the capability to “cognify” it will likely be groundbreaking and have a major influence in the near future (if not already). Kelly’s (2017) point about our poor understanding of how to measure intelligence and his description of different types of intelligence was very abstract and difficult to grasp, however, I do believe it does make sense. I especially liked the notion that developments and improvements in “taking X and adding AI” will pave the way for a second type of industrial revolution and agree that it will happen. I do think we are on the verge of entering a different future, and one that encompasses more capabilities than we can even imagine at this point. I was mesmerized watching the Corning videos and became really excited at the possibility of living in a future that was depicted. I really enjoyed listening to Kelly’s (2018) presentation and thoughts on “the mesh”, and learning how the potential for a mixed reality in the future will fundamentally change our everyday experiences and the way learning occurs. This notion was echoed in Becker et al.’s (2018) Horizon Report predictions for the future of higher education.  In sum, the most important takeaway from all this content is that leaders need to be more willing to seek out knowledge and be informed on the impact that technology and AI will have on our daily lives in the near future. It will be equally important for leaders to be able to balance a willingness to embrace these inevitable technological changes (rather than resist innovation and progress) with the need to also accept that “scary” problems will likely ensue as a result (e.g., more digital fake news and content, security breaches, etc.) - but most importantly, to be prepared and have the confidence to meet these demands when they do happen.           

The list of emerging technologies on Wikipedia by industry was also very interesting, and the items listed under the entertainment industry probably most resemble and apply to my field in professional sports. I was not surprised to see such things like computer-generated imagery, immersive virtual reality, and ultra-high-definition television listed as emerging technologies. I especially found the potential application for immersive virtual reality to create an artificial environment that enables users to feel equally immersed as they do in reality to be especially important for the future of sports. As mentioned previously, I think this highlights Kelly’s (2018) point about the potential implications associated with mixed reality in the future. Sports, as an industry in itself, was absent and not specifically mentioned in Wikipedia’s list of emerging technologies, but I am fully aware that technological changes and AI are already starting to change the industry. Regarding baseball, I’m sure most of us are familiar with the concept of Moneyball and how Billy Beane (manager of the Oakland Athletics) used analytics to build a competitive team despite having a lower budget than more revenue-generating organizations. Now, more than 10 years later, every sport has incorporated some form of technology in their operations, and especially as it pertains to big data analytics. I found several articles this week (e.g., Barr, 2016; EBR, 2019; Joshi, 2019) that demonstrate how technology and AI are changing the world of sports including the following areas:
  • Scouting and recruitment to evaluate athletes’ potential and market value
  • Training and monitoring athlete physical exertion and injuries
  • Enhancing camera angels to improve broadcasting and advertising effectiveness
  • Improving security measures at crowded stadiums to scan for dangerous and illegal activity
  • Data analysis to generate more fair odds in sports betting
As the articles suggest (Barr, 2016; EBR, 2019; Joshi, 2019), advancements in technology and AI are also being used to assist coaches and managers in their ability to anticipate errors and enhance tactics for in-game decisions during real-time. Sports officials are already slowly beginning to be replaced by robotic assistance mechanisms. For example, video replay in the NFL has shown its ability to overrule referee calls during games, technology is being used in tennis to make more accurate calls on whether balls are in or out of play, and robot umpires are even being tested in the minor leagues of baseball for making calls on whether pitches are in or out of the strike zone instead of umpires!

Take a look at these two videos that also discuss the changing landscape of the sports industry due to advancements in technology and AI. The Maheswaran (2015) video demonstrates how technology is not only being used to analyze player movements in the NBA, but also how “spatiotemporal pattern recognition” and tracking movement has broader implications for the future of society in general. The Recode (2017) video speaks to Kelly’s (2018) point regarding implications of mixed reality and provides tangible examples applied within the sports industry (watch between 18:40 min and 26:00 min).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66ko_cWSHBU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZrZWeXA9KU&feature=youtu.be

            The content and examples provided about the impact technology and AI will bring to the future of sports all relate to Kelly’s (2016) verb descriptions of flowing, sharing, tracking, accessing, interacting, screening, remixing, filtering, cognifying, questioning, and becoming. Moreover, while the investment in technology and AI in the sports industry will surely continue, and likely provide more predictability, I still love and believe in the fact that unpredictability and the element of surprise will still be present in sports due to the human element that takes place during competition. Lastly, I find it encouraging that we are still in the beginning stages of what the future may hold, and to Kelly’s point, it is evolving at this very moment and we are not too late to participate and be part of the process!   


References

Andriole, S. (October 13, 2017). Gartner’s 10 technology predictions for 2018: The good, the bad & the obvious. Forbes. Retrieved from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/steveandriole/2017/10/13/gartners-10-technology-predictions-for-2018-the-good-the-bad-the-obvious/#30aad74d155d

Barr, G. (May 3, 2016). How artificial intelligence plays into the future of sports technology. Sporttechie. Retrieved from: https://www.sporttechie.com/artificial-intelligence-plays-future-sports-technology/

Becker, S. A., Brown, M., Dahlstrom, E., Davis, A., DePaul, K., Diaz, V., & Pomerantz, J. (2018). NMC Horizon Report: 2018 Higher Education Edition. Louisville, CO: EDUCAUSE, 2018.

EBR. (August 13, 2019). How artificial intelligence will affect sports entertainment businesses. Retrieved from: https://www.europeanbusinessreview.com/how-artificial-intelligence-will-affect-sports-entertainment-businesses/

Joshi, N. (March 15, 2019). Here’s how AI will change the world of sports! Forbes. Retrieved from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/cognitiveworld/2019/03/15/heres-how-ai-will-change-the-world-of-sports/#30639c82556b

Kelley, K. (2016). The inevitable: Understanding the 12 technological forces that will shape our future. New York: NY: Penguin Random House LLC

Kelly, K. (January 12, 2017). How ai can bring on a second industrial revolution. Ted Talks. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjbTiRbeNpM

Kelly, K. (June 1, 2018). The emerging v-cloud. TNW Conference 2018. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjbTiRbeNpM

Maheswaran, R. (July 6, 2015). The math behind basketball’s wildest moves. Ted Talks. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66ko_cWSHBU

Recode. (May 30, 2017). Live interview featuring Steve Ballmer. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZrZWeXA9KU&feature=youtu.be

Comments

  1. ChrisAtCreightonDecember 5, 2019 at 10:26 AM

    Thank you for the interesting sports context. I agree that the unpredictability will still be present, and keep it interesting. Do you agree that such factors will perhaps even be existential for sports, which thrive on viewer and fan interest, which might wane in the absence of surprises and unpredictability?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Britt WatwoodDecember 8, 2019 at 12:17 PM

    I liked your comment about "...I still love and believe in the fact that unpredictability and the element of surprise..." I attended Annapolis between 1968 and 1972. Recognizing that Navy as #2 in 1963 and Roger Staubach had won the Heisman Trophy, it was a bitter pill that during my years at Annapolis, we had between 1-9 to the best being 4-7 seasons. Then, twenty years later, I got my doctorate at Nebraska and they won the national championship!

    The surprise part came in recent years when Navy has been ranked ahead of Nebraska (23rd going in to this weekend's Army-Navy game!

    ReplyDelete

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