At the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday, Formula 1 plans to unveil a brand new artificial intelligence-based “Statbot” along with Amazon.com Inc. The company’s executives reported plans for AI-powered, personalized broadcasts to maintain viewers engaged.
The Statbot will comb through race archives and analyze masses of real-time race data to offer context and trivia to presenters in the course of the race in Barcelona, using technology from the Seattle-based company’s Amazon Web Services cloud computing division, said Neil Ralph, the technology company’s head of technical collaboration with Formula 1.
This is an indication of how artificial intelligence is making inroads into the media and the way Formula 1 owner Liberty Media Corp. is searching for ways to maintain fans glued to their screens.
Led by billionaire cable magnate John C. Malone, Liberty bought F1 from CVC Capital Partners in a act Announced in 2016, the corporate has since focused on increasing the game’s global appeal and growing its audience with marketing ploys reminiscent of the Netflix Inc. behind-the-scenes documentary series. Formula 1: Driving to survive.
But in a sport that relies heavily on technology and whose human protagonists are hidden behind helmets, officials are also seeking to boost live race coverage. The corporations say also they are using AI to make predictions in the course of the race on issues reminiscent of when to pit or whether a driver might try and overtake, using real-time data reminiscent of the automobile’s performance and tire wear.
“With this data and familiarity with the fan, you can think about hyper-personalized experiences,” said Eric Gales, managing director of AWS Canada, in an interview on the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal in early June.
Ralph said: “That’s our goal, so that you as a fan can choose how much data you see and what stories you want to be told.”
Competing with other sports, streaming shows, TikTok and video games, the battle for attention has never been more intense. While Formula 1 has expanded its reach within the U.S. with the Netflix series and latest races just like the Las Vegas Grand Prix, the game remains to be sometimes criticized for being too predictable. Last yr, Formula 1’s top driver, Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing, won 19 of the 22 races; this yr he has won six of nine.
“We cannot rely on just giving them a passive experience,” said Dean Locke, Formula 1’s broadcast and media director, talking to reporters in Montreal remotely from the group’s media and technology centre in Biggin Hill, UK.
