The 2023 US Open will leverage IBM's latest generative AI capabilities to deliver a richer digital fan experience with automated audio commentary and captions for match highlight videos on an unprecedented scale.
Utilizing the IBM watsonx platform and foundation models trained in the vocabulary of tennis, the AI-generated commentary will provide insights into key moments from every singles match at the tournament.
Beyond commentary, IBM is also providing an AI Draw Analysis for the tournament—a new statistic projecting each player's chance of reaching later rounds based on Power Index data. Fans will witness daily updates on these metrics, offering an immersive deep dive into each round's potential matchups.
These innovations build on the long-standing technology partnership between IBM and United States Tennis Association, as they continue expanding the digital capabilities of the US Open each year. The AI model leverages hybrid cloud infrastructure from IBM and Red Hat to analyze structured and unstructured data from matches and generate commentary exhibiting diverse syntactic variation.
While real-time statistics and basic video analyses have long been part of the fan experience, the potential of generative AI lies in its ability to craft deeply personalized, insightful narratives around every game, player, and moment.
Personalized commentary, play-by-play analyses, and more may be possible down the line. Generative AI could also enrich interactive features like selecting alternate camera angles or storylines to follow. AI-powered avatars could conduct automated interviews and commentary tailored to each fan's preferences.
With AI, the line between being a passive spectator and an engaged participant in sports could blur, giving fans not just a seat in the stadium or a view on a screen, but a deeply immersive, personalized journey through every match and season.
The implementation of generative AI commentary and insights at this year's US Open offers a glimpse into the future of sports media and fan engagement powered by artificial intelligence. As the technology continues to advance, creative applications at scale could transform sports viewing.
Fans will be able to experience the new generative AI features by heading to USOpen.org or using the official US Open mobile app.