San Jose Sharks devour AI from Cambridge Consultants
“There are established and accepted norms and beliefs that have dominated how strategies are employed in sports – and especially within the game of hockey,” says San Jose Sharks President Jonathan Becher.
“We want to challenge these long-held beliefs, with AI being a new voice in the conversation that offers a unique perspective based on its interpretation of match data.”
Sport is a data-rich environment, but the data is mostly fan-facing and static. The San Jose Sharks want to use AI to not only draw more insight from data in play, but also to spot game intelligence that human coaches might miss.
Brian Leona, VP, program management, intelligent services, at Cambridge Consultants says: “Our goal is to take a unique, AI-driven approach to hockey coaching. Currently, coaching tends to start with theory. Data is then used to try to validate that theory. We are using AI to look at the data with no preconceived notions about what is true, and letting the data tell us what is happening.”
Chris Brady, CIO, Sportsology, adds: “Humans naturally tend to agree with each other or follow more preconceived notions of what an approach to problems might be. In other words, they spot patterns in data based on education and experience but will gravitate towards a common approach.”
Based on Cambridge Consultants’ experience, AI has the potential to suggest totally novel approaches to problems; spotting patterns in data not recognised by humans or discounted because of educational bias or groupthink.
The Sharks aim to create an ‘AI coach’ as an additional member of their team. Through the adoption of AI, they will be able to perform deeper and unbiased analyses on the positions of players across sequences of play, rather than snapshots in time. AI will help determine geometries in motion that result in key moments of success or failure for the team, reimagining new game plays and team tactics.
Sharks director, hockey projects and analytics, Charlie Townsend, adds: “We are trying to identify whether there are untapped, unbiased solutions by utilising technology to observe, digest and translate data points within a game that can assist with solutions to complex hockey problems.”
Brady suggests: “We are using AI to provide better insight and deeper game intelligence not possible by human analysis alone. Our aim is to create an AI coach – a teammate, not a toolbox. Ultimately, this isn’t about replacing coaches with technology, it’s about creating a blended approach, adding AI to the team.”
Sharks President Jonathan Becher concludes, “While we acknowledge the challenges and complexities of this project, we are also extremely excited about the journey to explore what may be possible and its potential game-changing payoff.”
This Cambridge Consultants engagement with the San Jose Sharks supports Capgemini’s continued commitment to pushing the boundaries of technology for transformative change. Through its global sports sponsorships, Capgemini is focused on enhancing the experience for athletes and fans alike.
