"You can't replace John McEnroe" - Wimbledon planning to introduce AI commentary innovation to 'complement human element'

The 2023 Wimbledon Championships will be taking an interesting turn, as it will introduce a new form of Artificial Intelligence (AI) commentary.

The organizers of Wimbledon have been using artificial intelligence for years to help with various statistics, but in 2023 they're going one step further. The All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) has announced that they'll be using generative AI technology from IBM Watsonx for all video highlights during the tournament.

The revolutionary commentary package has immediately raised questions on authenticity and realism, especially when replacing the character of the legendary John McEnroe. The American icon is a regular in the commentary box at Wimbledon, and the idea of him being replaced doesn't seem entirely feasible to fans.

Kevin Farrar, IBM Sports Partnerships Leader, admitted that cloning the American's commentary is "technically feasible", but also stated that AI won't ever be able to replace "the human element."

"I see AI as very much complementing the human element, rather than replacing it," Farrar said.

"You can't replace John McEnroe doing commentary, that human element always needs to be there. It's very much supplementing and complementing," he added.

A new statistic will also be introduced for the Grand Slam which looks at how favorable the path to the final might be for each player.

Usama Al-Qassab, AELTC marketing & commercial director, said the following in a statement:

"We are constantly innovating with our partners at IBM to provide Wimbledon fans, wherever they are in the world, with an insightful and engaging digital experience of The Championships," Al-Qassab said.

"This year, we're introducing new features for our digital platforms that use the latest AI technology from IBM to help fans gain even more insight into the singles draw and access commentary on a wider variety of matches through our match highlights videos," he added.

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Wimbledon 2023 announces first wild cards featuring Venus Williams, David Goffin, and others

AELTC Press Conference, Wimbledon Championships

The 2023 Wimbledon Championships have announced the first batch of wild cards for this year's edition of the tournament.

There will be eight wild cards each for men's and women's singles, with two slots still remaining open for the gentlemen, and one for the ladies.

Among others, the most notable names that received wild cards are Venus Williams and Elina Svitolina on the women's side, and David Goffin and home crowd favorite Liam Broady on the men's side.

The full list of men's singles wild cards:

1. Liam Broady (GBR)
2. Jan Choinski (GBR)
3. Arthur Fery (GBR)
4. David Goffin (BEL)
5. George Loffhagen (GBR)
6. Ryan Peniston (GBR)
7. TBC
8. TBC

The full list of women's singles wild cards:

1. Katie Boulter (GBR)
2. Jodie Burrage (GBR)
3. Harriet Dart (GBR)
4. Elina Svitolina (BEL)
5. Katie Swan (GBR)
6. Heather Watson (GBR)
7. Venus Williams (USA)
8. TBC