With artificial intelligence dominating the news cycle in the past year—from the AI chip
wars waging in Big Tech, to the implementation of AI tools across every work landscapes, to
the debate in understanding the sociological and economic impact of the burgeoning
technology–the biggest cultural, entertainment and television event of the year, the Super
Bowl, may well be AI’s “coming out” party.
And it’s not just in ways most would expect.
Yes, last year’s Super Bowl featured commercials for AI software, AI generated effects and
numerous features in the pregame completely created by AI (a sketchy retrospect of Fox
analyst Jimmy Johnson’s career, as well as AI recreations of host city New Orleans’ French
Quarter, featuring celebrity walk-throughs and game-opening preambles), this year’s event
will go far beyond that.
In addition to the commercial deluge, which will feature heated spots from OpenAI and
Anthropic—two key companies vying for AI dominance–AI technology is being used to
create several Super Bowl ads.
Svedka vodka will feature two, heavily glossed, futuristic dancing robots, in a completely AI
created spot–a first in Super Bowl advertising, as the white, glassy robot has become the
standard trope of all things AI.
Meta, paired with Oakley, will unveil their AI-enabled smart glasses.
Artlist, an AI creative platform allowing subscribers to produce high quality, professional
videos with minimal time and budgets—reportedly created their spot with AI tools in five
days.
“This isn’t AI’s debut, but it’s its mainstream breakthrough,” said Tony Gonzalez, CEO and
co-founder of Mundial Media, a California-based marketing firm.
But beyond the commercials, the game-day connection is being exemplified in many ways.
Instawork, a company that uses AI technology to power a platform that connects would-be
workers to employers, is helping fill as many as 5,000 temporary positions throughout the
San Francisco hospitality industry and other services tied to the partying and clean-up
associated with hosting the event.
The league itself has already embraced AI through a partnership with Microsoft, allowing
teams to use real-time game data and analysis tools to quickly analyze team formations,
decipher coverages and make more data-driven and strategic decisions.
While the NFL has not openly stated that AI tools are a regular part of team’s processes, all
indications are that AI is becoming a bigger part of how teams make their decisions.
The big game has always been a boon for wagering, and with betting now legal in many
states, fans will routinely turn to chatbots to help determine what kind of bets to place on
the game (and on the countless prop bets surrounding it) saving them from doing the
analytical research on their own.
But for all the boon AI is providing for the teams themselves, many feel it won’t ultimately
be reduced to some type of “Madden NFL” affair, where the players and coaches are
almost secondary.
Says Monica Robbins, head of strategic marketing partnerships for Microsoft, its AI-
powered game-day tools are not designed to predict outcomes and prompt playmaking
decisions but simply assist coaches and players sorting through play options in a quick and
efficient manner. If this is the “AI Bowl” then, says Robbins, “We want to make it clear humans are still in
charge. We’ve given them tools to reinforce that gut instinct.”
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