The National Basketball Association (NBA) has revealed that they are now open to looking into the use of artificial intelligence to help analyze referee calls and help in officiating games.
This comes after many fans have complained about bad referee calls and overall officiating in ball games, but it has gotten worse during the recent Playoffs, where complaints saw an all-time high, including those from former players themselves.
NBA Explores AI Use to Help Combat Bad Officiating, Referee Calls
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has recently shared his two cents on the "Pat McAfee Show" on how the league plans to curb the growing problem of officiating in the game, and that includes the use of AI.
It was revealed by Silver that a new AI initiative is in the works for the league, and this technology could take over refereeing in games, especially during crucial moments.
Silver also said that the league will "move on to a system" similar to Sony's "Hawk-Eye" camera system, which helps in automatic calls for certain situations, particularly for baseball, football, tennis, and other sports' out-of-bound plays.
While Silver did not confirm whether or not it will be the Hawk-Eye technology, the executive said that this new system will be in place to help referees make decisions or make calls in a game.
That said, the commissioner still defends NBA officials, saying that their "officiating is incredible" even as he addresses the need for the new technology to help with the refereeing in games.
Artificial Intelligence to Assist Referees in Games
According to Digital Trends, artificial intelligence will not replace human referees in NBA games, as mentioned by Silver in the interview.
The new technology that will soon be available in games will instead assist and help officials to make the right call and reduce human errors during crucial moments of the game.
That said, it was not revealed by the NBA what kind of AI technology they will place in games, and they also did not say anything about what kind of officiating it will focus on, whether it be out-of-bounds calls or fouls.
NBA Playoffs Filled With Bad Call Complaints
The recent NBA Playoffs are a good example of what this new technology could help improve in the future, especially as many fans grew frustrated with the alleged bad calls and officiating that took place in games.
One of the best examples here is the Western Conference Semifinals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Oklahoma City Thunder, where the series saw many complain about the bias in favor of OKC.
Fans and players were equally enraged, with NBA superstar LeBron James seen visibly irate throughout the series regarding the wrong calls against them and the lack of calls in their favor.
Most recently, OKC Thunder superstar and this season's MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, also faced "flopping" allegations and being on the receiving end of favored whistles that sent him to the line.
Originally published on Tech Times
