By Mallory Mattingly
In an effort to help speed up NBA games, especially during playoffs, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced that the league will move towards AI automation in its officiating.
“We’re going to move to a system like that, where that whole category of calls will be automatic…Those calls will be done by an AI automated system, with cameras lined around the court,” Silver said on THE PAT MCAFEE SHOW. “And it will take all of those so-called objective calls out of the hands of the referees. It’ll be instantaneous, it’ll be automatic. Just play on…You won’t have to deal with challenges on those calls.”
“I think in terms of replay, we’re going to get to the point fairly quickly where, for example, on out-of-bounds plays…those kinds of calls will become automatic,” he added
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Adam Silver says the NBA will implement an AI automated system to review calls.
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The goal for the automation would be to eliminate replay delays. The system will be similar to Hawk-Eye, “the virtual measurement system used in baseball, cricket, tennis and other sports,” according to Athlon Sports.
Fans have also been frustrated with players foul-baiting and flopping. Oklahoma City Thunder point guard is especially guilty of this, and during the playoffs, a lot of his drives feature exaggerated head snaps or flailing arms.
One Spurs fan even brought a fake trophy that looked like an Oscar so she could hold it up every time Gilgeous-Alexander flopped.
“I would only say there’s a difference between selling a call, exaggeration, and a true flop,” Silver told Pat McAfee. “If they’re not fooling the referees, it’s more like players being taught to sell calls these days. Because there’s often contact on every play. That doesn’t necessarily mean there’s a foul. I think technology is really going to be helpful here.”
Despite moving towards an automation system for calls, Silver says the officiating is “incredible.”
“Can officiating get better? Of course, we’re always working on that,” the NBA Commissioner said. “Can officials get fooled occasionally? We’re always looking that as well. The officiating is incredible.”
While technology will seamlessly handle the black-and-white calls, the human element of officiating remains vital for navigating the game’s gray areas. The balance between instantaneous AI accuracy and human judgment could finally deliver the fast-paced, fair product that both fans and players have been looking for.
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