Tennis Players Criticize AI Technology at Wimbledon

Wimbledon's AI Line Judges Face Player Criticism

Reports from The Telegraph indicate that several tennis players have expressed dissatisfaction with the newly implemented AI line judges at Wimbledon.

Transition to Electronic Line Calling

This year marks the first time the renowned tennis tournament has transitioned from human line judges to an electronic line calling system (ELC). The ELC is responsible for determining whether a ball lands within the court boundaries.

Accuracy Concerns Raised

A number of players have voiced concerns regarding the AI technology, primarily citing inaccurate calls that resulted in lost points.

Emma Raducanu, a prominent British tennis player, specifically pointed out an instance where the system failed to recognize an out-of-bounds shot by her opponent, forcing play to continue as if the ball were in. Television replays corroborated her observation, as detailed by The Telegraph.

Further Player Feedback

Jack Draper, currently ranked as Britain's No. 1, also shared his experience, stating he believed some line calls were incorrect and questioned the AI technology’s “100 percent accuracy.”

Operational Issues and Accessibility

During one match, Ben Shelton was informed that the AI line system was at risk of shutting down due to decreasing sunlight.

Other players reported difficulty hearing the automated speaker system. A deaf player expressed that the absence of traditional hand signals from human line judges hindered her ability to determine when she had won a point.

System Failure and Apology

A critical malfunction occurred during a match between Sonay Kartal and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova when a ball clearly landed out, but the technology failed to register it.

The umpire intervened, halting the rally and ordering a replay of the point due to the ELC’s failure to track the ball. Wimbledon subsequently issued an apology, attributing the incident to a “human error” – an accidental shutdown of the technology – and implemented adjustments to prevent recurrence.

All England Club Responds

Debbie Jevans, chair of the All England Club, defended the new system, noting that previous requests had been made for electronic line calling due to its perceived greater accuracy compared to human judgment on other tours.

Previous Criticism of AI Line Calling

This is not the first instance of criticism directed at AI line calling technology. In April, Alexander Zverev, a German player, publicly questioned the same automated system, sharing an image on Instagram depicting a ball incorrectly called in.

The Human-AI Balance

These critiques highlight the challenges associated with fully replacing human officials with AI. They underscore the potential need for a balanced approach, integrating both human oversight and automated systems as organizations increasingly adopt such technologies.

Recent developments, such as Klarna’s decision to re-hire human workers after initially prioritizing automation, further support the argument for a human-AI collaboration.