Heather du Plessis-Allan: Stop letting tech disrupt sport

Hasn’t the AI and Wimbledon drama taught us exactly the same lesson we keep learning with technology and sport: it’s great - if it doesn’t disrupt the game. 

And if that is the lesson, why don’t we learn it already? 

Wimbledon has not used AI properly. 

First problem was it missed a ball out. By a foot. The match got stopped and everyone waited four minutes. Yes, it was confirmed the AI got it wrong, so the match resumed. 

It turned out someone turned the AI off. 

Then we’re at the quarter finals. AI calls a ball out. It's not. It’s a metre inside the baseline.  

The match is stopped, the umpire calls the tech people, or whoever, and everyone waits. Yes, it's confirmed it was in and the match resumes. 

It turns out a ball boy was crossing the net at exactly the moment the ball was moving and the AI can’t handle that. 

Players are cross. The waiting has broken the game’s momentum.  

The crowd is cross. They’ve paid to watch the play, not sit around waiting for tech to be checked. 

On the other side of the world, here, we are again complaining about the TMO in last weekend’s test involving itself too much. 

Even Wayne Barnes is complaining that the TMO is ruining the continuity of the game. 

Other sports have already learned this lesson. 

League has limited what the bunker can look at, football is thinking about limiting the VAR, ice hockey has limited video review and it's the same with volleyball. 

They all know what Wimbledon hasn’t quite managed to do and rugby can’t quite seem to accept, which is that technology is great. 

But don’t let it disrupt the game. Don’t let it keep fans waiting. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now hasn't the AI and Wimbledon drama taught us exactly
the same lesson we keep learning with technology and sport,
which is that technology is great if it doesn't disrupt
the game. And if that is the lesson that we
keep learning, why don't we just learn it already? Wimbledon,
What's happened? Has not used AI properly. The first problem
that it had was at mister ball out by a foot.

(00:20):
The match got stopped. Everyone waited for four minutes, Yes,
the AI got it wrong. Match resumed. Turned out someone
turned the AI off. Then we're at the quarterfinals. AI
calls a ball out. It's not out, it's a meter
inside the baseline. Match is stopped. Umpire calls the tech
people or whoever. Everyone waits, Yes, the ball was in.
After all match resumes. Turns out what happened was a
ball boy is crossing the net at exactly the moment

(00:41):
that the ball was moving, and the AI can't handle
two movements at the same time players are cross The
waiting has broken the game's momentum. The crowd is crossed.
They have paid to watch a game, not to sit
around waiting for TECH to be checked. On the other
side of the world, which is here. We're having a
similar discussion again. We're complaining again about the TMO in
last weekend's test involving itself too much. Even Wayne Barnes, yes,

(01:02):
Wayne Barnes, is complaining that TMO is ruining the continuity
of the game. Other sports have already learned this lesson right.
League has limited what the bunker can look at. Football
is thinking about limiting the var ice. Hockey has limited
the video review, same with volleyball. They all know what
Wimbledon hasn't quite managed to do and what rugby seems
unable to accept, which is technology is great, but do

(01:24):
not let it disrupt the game. Don't let it keep
the fans waiting for more from the Mic Asking Breakfast.
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