'That’s Hideous' - Social Media Slams New AI Commentary On Masters App

Golf is always looking to find ways to modernize itself, with TV coverage being one of the primary ways in which broadcasters can enhance the viewing experience for those watching worldwide.

There have been multiple new initiatives introduced - some successful, some not so - and now, in a Twitter post, you can probably put this new initiative in the not so much category, with The Masters app’s new AI commentary certainly causing a stir on social media.

The Masters app is a must-have for the action at Augusta National, with it providing details about every player out on the golf course. However, for this week, they are trialling new AI (Artificial Intelligence) commentary, with IBM Watson, an AI company training a 'language model to learn golf and deliver insights in real time like an announcer would. Here’s an example of what it’ll sound like.'

In the video, we see Sepp Straka playing a shot from the pine straw, when a robotic voice comes over the footage. In the video, it says "Sepp Straka, 28-years-old from Austria is going to hit from the pine straw from hole one." After making impact, the ball is in the air, with the AI then adding "he took stroke two and the ball travelled 162-yards into the greenside bunker." 

Obviously, AI has its uses and benefits but, after it was released on Twitter, it certainly divided opinion, with one user tweeting: "1. That is amazing, the robots are def taking over. 2. Def putting it on mute." They weren't the only ones, as another  tweeted "mute button" and another "that’s hideous."

It's not the first bit of new technology that has perhaps divided opinion, with another one of them being the Strike Meter, a TopTracer camera that picks up the tee shot and evaluates the quality of it immediately upon impact by incorporating many different launch factors.

It was used during The 150th Open Championship and, after just a few days, was never seen again, as many took to social media to voice their views. One of those was DP World Tour player, Eddie Pepperell, who stated: "If Rory bombing a driver 310 through the air, into the wind, only reaches “80 on the strike meter”… I’m calling b******t on the “strike meter".