As major soccer teams around the world experiment with video and data analytics to improve their performances on the field, an eighth-tier team in London has taken a step even further, deploying an artificially intelligent coach to set lineups and provide insights.
The non-league club Wingate & Finchley began deploying the sport’s first AI coach earlier this month as part of an effort to inspire kids and teens to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math. Developed by Greenshoot Labs, the voice-led coach collects in-depth knowledge of the team and each player’s attributes, then uses that information to make lineup and formation suggestions, and to offer match strategies and substitutions.