The panel “AI in Sport,” moderated by Ivan Ortenzi, shone a spotlight on the dual relationship between technology and the human component in football. On stage, Filippo Rizzante (Reply) and Sergio Gianotti (AWS) dialogued, with a brief online contribution from Mister Mancini, who immediately expressed a clear stance: “AI is very useful, but I still trust my intuition (laughs, Ed.).”

The new geography of technology

Rizzante framed the technological scenario, noting how leadership, once “US centric” over the last 20 years, is now significantly diversifying. The debate touched upon the dualism between machine power and the defense of the human being, or the instinctive “good feeling.” The AWS manager immediately clarified: “AI does not replace the human being, but amplifies human capabilities in gathering data and processing it to extract value from that information.”

Data: the new white gold

Data was defined as the “new white gold,” essential for coaches and professionals. Instinct, far from being suppressed, is amplified by tools that process increasing amounts of information. Gianotti cited the example of the Bundesliga, with which AWS built a data platform available to clubs. These tools not only fuel decision-making but also make fan engagement more interesting, allowing supporters to view the match from different perspectives. Every single football match generates about 2 million data points.

Cloud democratization and the italian challenge

Rizzante highlighted that “AI today is not what it was five years ago,” emphasizing the need to update the Italian approach. Gianotti remarked that the Cloud has democratized the most advanced IT technologies in any part of the country, available to any company or startup. A unified platform would give even lower leagues the ability to leverage this wide range of services, also increasing the potential for major teams. The example of the NFL, which looks at data and, based on it, interprets and changes the rules, was proposed as a model that Serie A could consider.

Performance and passion: the future of the sports business

The Reply manager explored the future of AI in sport, applicable in the physical world as well as the corporate one. “In the world of sport, AI is data analysis, improving tactics, or building systems that leverage scouting experience and individuals to support humans even better.”

Will perfection ever be reached? According to Gianotti, AI won’t impact performance itself, but will assist decision-makers. It will radically change the industry that revolves around the emotional component of sport. “We watch sport because it generates emotion, where we get excited over a wrong pass or a winning shot.” The two components that AI amplifies are control and the sharing of entertainment. AWS, with 8 billion Euros invested in Cloud infrastructure dedicated to Europe, does not endorse a single model but promotes the broadest technological choice. The panel concluded with an invitation to embrace and not ignore these technologies.