NASCAR evaluating how artificial intelligence may help improve on-track product
NASCAR’s Steve O’Donnell mentioned it is tough to pinpoint just one space wherein AI holds potential for the groupgetty photos
NASCAR’s analysis of synthetic intelligence will not be being restricted to the business side of the sport, because it’s additionally taking a look at how the rising know-how might assist its competitors, together with adjustments to the playoff format. In February, NASCAR confirmed to SBJ that it had arrange an inner, cross-function group to review the way it might use generative AI, the rising know-how that underpins ChatGPT. NASCAR COO Steve O’Donnell gave additional particulars in a latest interview with SBJ following the 2024 marketing campaign, saying it’s tough to pinpoint just one space wherein AI holds potential for NASCAR. “I might say simply round racing, the technique that now goes right into a race, how that applies to our codecs of the long run, I feel AI can play a extremely massive function in that,” he mentioned.
It’s unclear which AI platform NASCAR is utilizing for its experiments. Leaders within the discipline embody ChatGPT maker OpenAI, Google’s Gemini and Microsoft’s Copilot. Tech firms are spending tens of billions of {dollars} into R&D for AI – in 2025, $200B is slated for capital expenditures by Amazon, Alphabet, Apple, Meta and Microsoft, based on Reuters, almost double their 2021 outlays, as a result of AI. That focus is trickling right down to sports activities together with racing, the place NASCAR has already been working with with WSC Sports activities on AI-generated highlights for NASCAR.com plus Satisfi Labs on an AI-powered chat operate on its web site. Alphabet’s Google has additionally promoted its AI efforts with its F1 crew associate McLaren Racing, and F1 world associate Lenovo has talked about utilizing AI for F1 activations.
O’Donnell mentioned he sees AI doubtlessly taking part in a task in NASCAR’s present offseason analysis of whether or not to alter the playoff format of the Cup Sequence as quickly as 2025. Whereas NASCAR might seek the advice of AI on the influence of playoff adjustments, that may come amid what the sanctioning physique has already mentioned is a broader effort to contain people throughout the racing trade to craft what these potential adjustments could be.
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O’Donnell: “Once we created even the phases or playoff format (years in the past), you probably did that with one of the best information you had and finest minds you had, however now having the ability to plug in and work with AI when it comes to, ‘OK, when you tweak the playoffs this fashion, what ought to we be watching out for?’ or ‘How might that have an effect on the game?’ — there’s a lot information and know-how on the market which you could throw right into a mannequin — I feel it’s going to be very useful in taking a look at some predictive evaluation of the place the game can go sooner or later after which there’s the entire enterprise facet of issues too.”
AI is seen as one thing which will have an effect on enterprise departments together with advertising and gross sales, operations, HR, and IT and engineering, amongst others, based on a research by Goldman Sachs. O’Donnell: “With our sponsors and what we do finest – it’s transferring rapidly, so at first (NASCAR is targeted on AI) round competitors and you then’d take a look at it from a enterprise facet of issues from advertising as effectively.”
A number of different groups in NASCAR, in addition to different main sanctioning our bodies and different entities in motorsports, are learning how they’ll use AI. For instance, motorsports simulator platform/online game firm iRacing introduced final month that it has partnered with Microsoft’s analysis group to discover AI and the way it can enhance the iRacing sim.
