As artificial intelligence grows in popularity and prowess, it’s fair to wonder what effects this new technology will have on our society. In sports, AI technology could change how the game is coached, analyzed, presented to fans, and much more. We’re just in the early stages of what could be a revolutionary new technology.
One such application is generating unique images. Many different companies offer free services that create brand-new pictures centered around a text prompt. These AI-generated images can range from cartoonish and cutesy to uncanny in how accurate they appear. Recently fans of the Boston Celtics shared AI-generated images to stave off boredom at work. Soon an intriguing Twitter thread was born, showcasing that when creativity meets AI technology, the sky may be the limit.
We rounded up some of the best AI-generated images Celtics fans could cook up.
This one comes from the Celtics Lab Podcast, and was part of the post that started things off.
That basketball could use some work, but this is charming stuff. Our next one is a bit less cutesy, and deserves a content warning.
This next AI-generated image is from @bencavell, who shared Kristaps Porzingis as a brain-eating zombie in honor of the Halloween season.
Here we have a slightly more mellow piece of AI-generated Celtics art, courtesy of @timisaperson. Very Boston, and fewer monsters.
The longer you look at this one, the stranger it becomes. That said, thanks to @Celticspepito for showing us what an alternate mascot might look like for Boston.
With Boston potentially facing a rotation crunch in the front court, @mdcollopy offered a unique solution.
This one from @lo_OpaDewAr is maybe a glimpse into the future if WNBA expansion ever does come to Boston.
AI-generated art is still a young technology. As such, it doesn’t always get it right. Here, @comBradStevens found out first hand with an image of Jayson Tatum that doesn’t quite land.
Artificially intelligence really may be a game-changer for sports. For now, we’ll stick with the spunky fan art.
Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi
YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ
