Google Deepmind unveils AI football tactics coach honed with Liverpool

Google DeepMind has developed an AI system called TacticAI to suggest tactical improvements for corner kicks in collaboration with Premier League club Liverpool. TacticAI analyzed over 7,000 corner kicks from Premier League matches between 2020-2023 and suggested positional changes based on outcomes. Experts at Liverpool could not distinguish TacticAI's generated scenarios from actual matches and favored its advice 90% of the time over existing strategies. Corner kicks represent a significant chance for goals, accounting for about 30% of goals. TacticAI reflects both the promise and current limitations of using AI to gain a sporting edge, working well for predictable situations like corners but not fully tackling the variability of open play. DeepMind has been working with Liverpool for 3 years on deploying AI in different areas like penalty kicks and player movement prediction. The use of advanced data analysis in sports has grown increasingly sophisticated since the book Moneyball highlighted its use in baseball. AI's growing abilities have increased interest in its potential applications across different sports. Other projects are exploring uses like predicting and preventing injuries in American football. TacticAI provides insights into how AI may evolve to approach football in a more categorical way rather than one continuous flow.