Artificial intelligence (AI) is having a profound effect on various domains, and sport is no different. Each time you watch your favorite team or athlete, technology is at play, impacting the performance and the product you see. Here's how AI is changing sports. 🤖

AI is revolutionizing how athletes train, particularly as it relates to injury prevention. AI can collect biometric data and track movements in real time to identify when athletes are at risk of injury. That allows teams, coaches, and players to tweak their training regimens, ensuring safety and better, more prolonged peak performance.

Aiding referees with technology is arguably the most tangible - and polarizing - example of AI's impact in sports. The NFL has introduced the Hawk-Eye system to measure first downs; soccer continues to rely heavily on VAR; robot umpires will be used in baseball as part of MLB's challenge system for balls and strikes.

Should you go for it on 4th down? Which defender should we target in the pick-and-roll? When's the perfect moment to make that pit stop? These questions are increasingly being answered by AI, which provides mountains of data and predictive models to help coaches and teams make critical decisions before and during games.

Last month, the Oakland Ballers of the independent Pioneer League allowed artificial intelligence to manage a regular-season game. Skipper Aaron Miles watched from the dugout, tablet in hand, as AI created his lineup, made pitcher changes, and more. The tool, built by a Los Angeles-based software company, processed all the info a human manager would use, including live stats and historical data. The Ballers picked up a 3-2 win.

There's more data than ever before to parse and more stats for broadcasts to present to viewers. That, in theory, helps sports fans become more informed. Exposure to those details can enhance the viewing experience, allow you to make stronger arguments when debating your pals, or even help shape your next parlay.