Javier Tebas announces that artificial intelligence will choose the referees next season. He promises objectivity, but the algorithm is trained with human data full of biases. He also boasts of reducing piracy by 60%, increasing the League's value by 130 million. It sounds modern, but AI is not magic: it is designed by people with the power to decide who pays and who is left out.
Biased algorithms: the false technical neutrality 🤖
An AI system is trained with previous refereeing decisions, many of which are erroneous or controversial. If historical data contains favoritism or human errors, the machine will replicate them. Tebas sells neutrality, but the algorithm is a black box where whoever controls the data controls the outcome. Technology can improve the game, but it can also serve as an excuse to justify decisions without accountability. The promised transparency is just a slogan.
AI and piracy: the VAR of the fan's pocket 💰
The fight against piracy reduces free access to football, but does not lower prices. Tebas celebrates the increase in the League's value, but does not mention those who cannot afford thirty euros a month. AI, they say, is objective. Sure, as objective as an algorithm that decides watching your team costs more than a dinner. In the end, the business squeezes every last cent, while the fan is left in the virtual stands, watching football become a luxury product.