We Don't Know What It Is, But It's Not Rob Warner

that made my head hurt reading that -still no idea what it;s supposed to do.

No Rob Warner and more Jeff Bezos, just what we need.

Tenner says the press release was written by AI as well.

So what they are saying is that their presenters & staff aren't knowledgeable about the Mountain Biking & can't be arsed to do the research, so we will blag everyone that we are using AI and make it sound high tech. Waffle, waffle, blah, blah smells like bull....

Could you summarize please Hannah? 😀

Lovely.

Luckily I won't be watching that shite. Well, I want to watch world cups, but not the £31/month greedy barsteward money grab coverage.

I understand quite a lot of that press release - even the bits that have descended into a game of buzzword bingo.

Translation is no positive meaningful changes for fans of the various series, particularly those who don't have thirty quid a month spare to watch it. 

So they're using AI to help the commentator during the race with information about the riders.......

Couldn't the commentator just do their homework - like Rob Warner did.....

So is this why the price to watch is extortionate - because they need to pay Bezos a load of cash for some more AI bollox.......

So, it sounds like the commentators will be able to look at a computer and say 'Here's No.16, Joe Bloggs... ...who came 14th last time at this venue, is currently 12th in the series. He has faced the other front runner 12 times, of which six have come down to a sprint, and of which he's won four. His favourite colour is yellow and he loves Haribo fizzy crocodiles.' Kind of thing... I think.

Somewhat ironically, I used AI to give me a simpler version of that release, this is what it said:

Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Sports Europe has launched a new AI-powered platform called Cycling Central Intelligence (CCI) in collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS). This platform is designed to improve how mountain bike events are broadcasted to viewers. It will debut at the 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Brazil.

Key Points:

• CCI uses AI to help commentators and producers tell better stories by providing them with detailed data and insights about the riders and events.
• AWS is providing the cloud infrastructure and AI technology for this platform.
• Benefits: The platform makes it easier for commentators to access information quickly, allowing them to focus on delivering exciting and engaging coverage.
• Technology: CCI uses various AWS services to process documents, translate languages, and organize information, ensuring that human experts still control the storytelling.

Overall, this collaboration aims to enhance the viewing experience for mountain bike fans by combining advanced AI technology with human expertise.

I know I'm thick, but that statement was a hard read. At 30 odd quid a month I'd already passed. I don't know who would be swung by the inclusion of AI.

Rob had plenty of facts in his head and live in his headphones from behind scenes producers. The skill is knowing what to use when. which he is expert at and Rik is not.
This appears to be one less research production staff needed.
A tenner says 2026 season will have an AI 'Assistant' commentator who talks all the stats….

Expect some random AI based hallucinations in the commentary:
"Race leader lost a leg in an unfortunate accident last season, but fortunately has grown a new one"

Fizzy crocodiles, you say???

I’m sure I speak for many when I ask, “what the **** are they smoking at WBD?”

Read it, read it again. Still clueless as to what it actually means or is.

I think it says, "we won't prepare properly or learn anything beforehand about the racing or get bogged down with unnecessary facts... because we have AI.... yay! This means we can talk about anything, then at the correct moment use AI to add in a fizzy crocodile fact or whatever the machine tells us"

Is there any crap that these tosspots won't impose on a previously engaging broadcast sport?

But, as many have said, it's academic to me because they've already priced me out. So, frankly, who cares?

Its just riding bikes around a field, isn't it.

I think Cycling Intelligence App would have been a better name 😃

How long before jokers start posting random ridiculous stories on the internet about WC riders that the AI "learns" from and is subsequently incorporated into commentary?

How long before jokers start posting random ridiculous stories on the internet about WC riders that the AI "learns" from and is subsequently incorporated into commentary?

And one of the GMBN nobbers who incorporates it signs off in true Ron Burgundy style...

"Go **** yourselves, mountain bikers".

Which isn't a million miles away from WBD's vision for the sports in any case from what I can tell.

🤣🤣🤣

I feel like I know less after reading that than I did before.

Jesus, there really is a specific type of talentless, imagination-bereft upper management person who can't resist some AI bollocks and sadly there are far too many of them around 😖

We've repeatedly advised our management buffoons that AI simply can't do what we do without alienating our customers and introducing all sorts of difficult to spot, highly technical mistakes... but they're doing it anyway because they clearly have no other ideas 🙄

Rob put lots off energy into XC commentary and is much missed. But i wouldn’t say he was always exactly sure who was who

Is data driven story telling how our new AI overlords lull us to sleep then hook us up to the matrix?

asignificant

I've never seen this word before.
Is it like asexual or ammoral?

Posted by: chakaping

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Tenner says the press release was written by AI as well.

Definitely...and English wasn't it's first language.

Posted by: reeksy

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Posted by: chakaping

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Tenner says the press release was written by AI as well.

Definitely...and English wasn't it's first language.

 

Bollocks was it's first language, at a guess.

Can someone translate that, made zero sense to me. Maybe I’m just dumb. Load of jargon tumbleweed

Posted by: suspendedanimation

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Can someone translate that, made zero sense to me. Maybe I’m just dumb. Load of jargon tumbleweed

Sounds like the steady stream of (mostly pointless) statistics that is part of modern kickball commentary is coming to push-bike racing.

Franks post sums it up nicely. 

As for slating AI. When our cybernetic overlords take control, they'll have trawled STW and identified the dissenting voices.... I'm sure we'll all be first in line for the T-1000 visits. 

Commentators get access to a computer.........there you go.

Franks post sums it up nicely. 

As for slating AI. When our cybernetic overlords take control, they'll have trawled STW and identified the dissenting voices..

I do hope they understand you were not attributing the content of Franks post to Frank, you weren't were you? What!? You were? Oh DEAR!

I think it IS an April Fool... but someone asked AI which date April Fool's day is 🤣 

I read the press release and honestly have no idea what on earths they were actually talking about. 

Also #F@CKAI

So revolutionary that they can't even come up with one example of what might be improved!

It's got to be good Chris ball says so

Looks more like a press release for Amazon than for the sport.

Does a human actually proof read this bilge?