Google DeepMind and Liverpool Brings AI Into Soccer

In a strategic move, Google DeepMind has teamed up with popular football club Liverpool to introduce Artificial Intelligence (AI) into soccer. 

Google DeepMind published a research paper on Tuesday and in this article, the tech firm revealed that it came up with a tool that can analyze soccer tactics in collaboration with Liverpool FC. The tool was developed by Petar Veličković of Google DeepMind and a few of his colleagues. The AI tool is part of a three-year research collaboration between Google DeepMind and Liverpool FC.

TacticAI, as the new Large Language Model (LLM) is called, is designed to provide insights for soccer coaches on corner kicks as well as player setup. The new AI tool is an indication of the dynamic nature of the AI industry. Even top tech company Apple secretly unveiled MM1 a few days ago.

Like some other existing AI models, TacticAI performs its function by using generative and predictive AI. It goes as far as helping a coach determine the most probable player to receive the ball during corner kicks. Google DeepMind TacticAI can also predict when a shot will be taken and how to adjust player setup in preparation. 

TacticAI and Premier League Links

The TacticAI model is trained on data from previous Premier League matches including data from 7176 corner kicks in England’s 2020 to 2021 seasons. It even recognizes each player’s height and weight. According to the research paper, human experts found that TacticAI’s suggestions were not so different from real corners and were picked 90 percent of the time “over tactical setups seen in practice.”

This was further underscored by results obtained from tests that showed the receiver of the ball was among TacticAI’s top three candidates 78% of the time. Veličković clarified that TacticAI is in no way meant to displace human coaches but to amplify their capabilities. He recognizes that the AI model goes beyond sport but can also model several aspects of human psychology better.

Considering the numerous AI tools that were launched in the last few weeks, it is obvious that AI use case cuts across several industries. Devin from Cognition Labs, Genie and Gemini are some of the recently launched AI tools with innovative functions. The impact of AI tools is being showcased in almost every industry, a sign that shows their evolution might be encompassing.