According to a recent study, football strategies formulated by Artificial Intelligence (AI) are consistently superior to those devised by human brains, potentially signaling a future where coaches like Klopp could be replaced by robots.
For the past three years, Liverpool and Google have collaborated to develop the AI tactical model DeepMind. They analyzed over 7,000 corner kicks executed by Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool team, subsequently introducing several new adjustments. Experts from Liverpool were tasked with reviewing corner kick setups without knowledge of whether they were generated by humans or AI. It was quite surprising that 90% of the AI-generated strategies were rated higher.
The DeepMind team focused on corner kicks, producing software to aid coaches in planning for set-piece situations both offensively and defensively. Zhe Wang of Google DeepMind stated that the tool, named TacticAI, could lay the foundation for AI assistants in the next generation of football.
Wang explained, “TacticAI can accurately predict the first ball recipient after a corner kick, as well as the likelihood of shot execution. This tool has been demonstrated to generate reasonable tactical variations that enhance outcomes, while closely resembling realities that experts cannot differentiate.”
Wang and colleagues designed TacticAI to serve as an assistant to coaches, believing that it could also be utilized for other set-piece situations such as throw-ins and support for various other sports.
Previous research had focused on employing AI to analyze player performances on the field, but there have been notable innovations. This is not Liverpool’s first collaboration with advanced football technology companies. Previously, they worked with Neuro11, a firm specializing in set-piece situations, assisting team members in evaluating their mental states before corner kicks and penalty kicks.