Horse racing has always adapted to updates in technology, and soon AI could start to have a greater impact on the sport. One interesting application could be for commentary, with AI potentially able to provide separate commentary for different horses competing in a race.
Traditional commentators could still exist and provide their iconic, fast-paced overview of the entire field, but AI could be there as an option for people who want to focus on a particular horse. This could be a useful feature for large races like the Grand National, where it’s hard to follow an individual runner.
How Could AI Commentate on Individual Horses?
There are already AI voice models that are getting more advanced every year, so the concept of having a machine commentate on a race is already a possibility. However, such a system would need accurate real-time information about the location and movement of each horse.
Tracking technology could provide all the data that the AI needs, as this offers information such as position, speed, and distance between the runners. Some horses have already been fitted with GPS trackers and biometric sensors during the races, so this idea could be implemented on a larger scale to give AI the data it needs.
AI could harness this information and analyse it rapidly to then churn out accurate commentary. In fact, it may be able to offer insights that human commentators couldn’t, such as how fatigued a horse is based on its heart rate. Or it could compare its data with another horse and make predictions about whether it would be possible to catch up.
Who Would This Concept Appeal to?
The idea of having virtual commentators report the action is nothing new. It’s been used in virtual horse racing for some time, with the commentary designed to follow the action on screen and simulate a real-world race. This is slightly different to having AI commentate on a race in real time, though, as virtual races have predetermined outcomes and the system already knows when runners change position.
Some people enjoy virtual horse racing with digital commentary, as it gives them a different way to experience the sport. There are plenty of digital entertainment options that come with their own unique takes on horse racing too. For example, casino slot machines online like Big Horsey Fortune and Gold Horsey Winner portray the sport in a more cartoonish way.
Could AI Spot Things That a Human Might Miss?
There could be some other advantages to using AI for horse racing commentary, such as the fact that it may be able to spot things that a human would miss. Regardless of how long a commentator has been in the business, there’s so much happening in the average horse race that it’s almost impossible to see everything.
AI could potentially commentate on everything. It could even compare what is happening with historical information, such as how a horse has performed in past races. Even the most seasoned commentators may not be able to draw upon this kind of knowledge so readily.
Horse racing has already become tech-heavy, and the sport is clearly open to integrating new advancements. In the years ahead, AI could start to have a greater influence on race commentary.