What If AI Replaced Referees in Sports?

By: N. Caputo

Technology has already become a major part of sports through systems like VAR in football and Hawk-Eye in tennis. But what would happen to sports if referees were completely replaced by artificial intelligence?  
One advantage of AI referees would its accuracy. Human referees can make mistakes under pressure while AI systems could analyze movements instantly and make more precise decisions. This would reduce controversial calls and create fairer results for teams and players. 
Another benefit would be consistency. Human referees often interpret rules differently because they must rely on human judgement. AI would apply the same rules equally in every game. It could also reduce arguments between players and officials, since computer decisions may appear more objective and unbiased. 
However, replacing referees entirely could create problems. Sports known to be emotional, and some situations require human judgement. Such as in volleyball where players could get reprimanded for commemorating in a way that confronts the other team. The AI technology may struggle to understand context, or intention during certain moments in a game. Technical failures could also interrupt important matches and create confusion. 
In addition, many fans enjoy the human aspect of sports. Referees, despite their mistakes, are part of the excitement and discussion surrounding competitions. Without them, games could feel less personal and more robotic, losing its sense of culture and thrill.  
Overall, AI referees could improve fairness and accuracy in sports, but completely removing human officials may take away an important part of the game. Perhaps the best solution is a balance between technology and human judgement rather than replacing referees entirely, decreasing the rate of human error or bias but maintain the excitement on the court.  ​