logo
Soccer-LaLiga leads AI evolution with global outreach

Soccer-LaLiga leads AI evolution with global outreach

Yahoo02-04-2025

By Ahmed El Khashab
Reuters News - Artificial intelligence isn't coming for football — in Spain, it's already laced up and part of the squad.
"LaLiga has become an integral part of AI's DNA," might sound poetic, but according to Javier Gil — LaLiga's head of AI implementation and development — it's the other way around.
Advertisement
"AI has become an integral part of LaLiga's DNA," Gil told Reuters by email, calling it a cornerstone of the league's strategy for years.
"We deployed solutions based on predictive analysis and algorithms long ago," he said, crediting LaLiga president Javier Tebas as a "bold leader" who spotted the potential of generative AI early and established a dedicated department to embed it across the organisation.
This isn't tech for tech's sake, Gil insisted. "It's about the significant value they bring to both LaLiga and the league," he said.
And that value, he argued, goes far beyond tactics and transfer talk.
Advertisement
"Generative AI has proven its ability to change not only the way we work, but also society itself," Gil said. "We have a great opportunity to connect with our fans in new ways and to reshape the entertainment industry."
FROM PITCH TO PIXELS
AI's influence in LaLiga now stretches from match analysis to media production. According to Gil, each match generates more than 3.5 million data points via a tracking camera system installed in every stadium.
That data feeds club-level prep and fuels projects like "Beyond Stats" — an initiative with Microsoft that blends advanced analytics into live broadcasts.
Advertisement
AI also automates real-time video content for digital platforms. "This is perhaps one of the reasons why LaLiga clubs are so competitive in European competitions," Gil said.
And while the tech is evolving fast, even Gil can't predict what's next.
"I don't know what the situation will look like in two years or even two months," he said. "Technological development will not stop... and we believe it is our responsibility to provide ongoing training for our employees to raise awareness of AI and encourage creativity among our teams."
GLOBAL GAME, DIGITAL STAGE
Advertisement
LaLiga's AI ambitions go well beyond Spain. The league is working with other federations and has set up a consultancy in Iraq, while its Dubai office — opened a decade ago — underscores its long-term interest in the Middle East and North Africa.
Gil said the league remains "open to sharing knowledge and expertise with any league, institution, or federation" keen to build a shared understanding of tech's potential.
Clubs like Sevilla, Atletico Madrid and Deportivo Alaves are also rolling out AI-driven experiences to engage fans, while LaLiga continues to team up with partners such as Microsoft and Sportian to push the frontier.
And the U.S. is very much in their sights. Gil called it "a benchmark for innovation, responsibility, and inspiration" — a country from which LaLiga is keen to learn.
Advertisement
Whether it's article writing, branding, campaign work or interactive experiences, the possibilities are multiplying.
"We believe that sharing knowledge with other sports organisations in open discussions is not just a luxury," Gil said. "It's the only true way to continue learning and developing together."
(Reporting by Ahmed El Khashab; Editing by Ossian Shine and Christian Radnedge)

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Nvidia chief calls AI ‘the greatest equalizer' — but warns Europe risks falling behind
Nvidia chief calls AI ‘the greatest equalizer' — but warns Europe risks falling behind

Yahoo

time27 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Nvidia chief calls AI ‘the greatest equalizer' — but warns Europe risks falling behind

PARIS (AP) — Will artificial intelligence save humanity — or destroy it? Lift up the world's poorest — or tighten the grip of a tech elite? Jensen Huang, the global chip tycoon, offered his opinion on Wednesday: neither dystopia nor domination. AI, he said, is a tool for liberation. Wearing his signature biker jacket and mobbed by fans for selfies, the Nvidia CEO cut the figure of a tech rockstar as he took the stage at VivaTech in Paris. 'AI is the greatest equalizer of people the world has ever created,' Huang said, kicking off one of Europe's biggest technology industry fairs. But beyond the sheeny optics, Nvidia used the Paris summit to unveil a wave of infrastructure announcements across Europe, signaling a dramatic expansion of the AI chipmaker's physical and strategic footprint on the continent. In France, the company is deploying 18,000 of its new Blackwell chips with startup Mistral AI. In Germany, it's building an industrial AI cloud to support manufacturers. Similar rollouts are underway in Italy, Spain, Finland and the U.K., including a new AI lab in Britain. Other announcements include a partnership with AI startup Perplexity to bring sovereign AI models to European publishers and telecoms, a new cloud platform with Mistral AI, and work with BMW and Mercedes-Benz to train AI-powered robots for use in auto plants. The announcements reflect how central AI infrastructure has become to global strategy, and how Nvidia — the world's most valuable chipmaker — is positioning itself as the engine behind it. At the center of the debate is Huang's concept of the AI factory: not a plant that makes goods, but a vast data center that creates intelligence. These facilities train language models, simulate new drugs, detect cancer in scans, and more. Asked if such systems risk creating a 'technological priesthood' — hoarding computing power and stymying the bottom-up innovation that fueled the tech industry for the past 50 years — Huang pushed back. 'Through the velocity of our innovation, we democratize,' he told The Associated Press. 'We lower the cost of access to technology.' As Huang put it, these factories 'reason,' 'plan,' and 'spend a lot of time talking to' themselves, powering everything from ChatGPT to autonomous vehicles and diagnostics. But some critics warn that without guardrails, such all-seeing, self-reinforcing systems could go the way of Skynet in ' The Terminator ' movie — vast intelligence engines that outpace human control. 'Just as electricity powered the last industrial revolution, AI will power the next one,' he said. 'Every country now needs a national intelligence infrastructure.' He added: 'AI factories are now part of a country's infrastructure. That's why you see me running around the world talking to heads of state — they all want AI to be part of their infrastructure. They want AI to be a growth manufacturing industry for them.' Europe, long praised for its leadership on digital rights, now finds itself at a crossroads. As Brussels pushes forward with world-first AI regulations, some warn that over-caution could cost the bloc its place in the global race. With the U.S. and China surging ahead and most major AI firms based elsewhere, the risk isn't just falling behind — it's becoming irrelevant. Huang has a different vision: sovereign AI. Not isolation, but autonomy — building national AI systems aligned with local values, independent of foreign tech giants. 'The data belongs to you,' Huang said. 'It belongs to your people, your country... your culture, your history, your common sense.' But fears over AI misuse remain potent — from surveillance and deepfake propaganda to job losses and algorithmic discrimination. Huang doesn't deny the risks. But he insists the technology can be kept in check — by itself. 'In the future, the AI that is doing the task is going to be surrounded by 70 or 80 other AIs that are supervising it, observing it, guarding it, ensuring that it doesn't go off the rails.' The VivaTech event was part of Huang's broader European tour. He had already appeared at London Tech Week and is scheduled to visit Germany. In Paris, he joined French President Emmanuel Macron and Mistral AI CEO Arthur Mensch to reinforce his message that AI is now a national priority. — Chan reported from London.

Nvidia Builds Europe's First Industrial AI Cloud
Nvidia Builds Europe's First Industrial AI Cloud

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

Nvidia Builds Europe's First Industrial AI Cloud

Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) is launching Europe's first Industrial AI Cloud to turbocharge manufacturing, deploying 10,000 GPUsincluding DGX B200 systems and RTX PRO serversacross a Germany-based AI factory that runs CUDA-X libraries, RTX and Omniverse workloads from Siemens (SIEGY), Ansys (NASDAQ:ANSS), Cadence (NASDAQ:CDNS) and Rescale. The cloud will handle every step of production, from design and engineering simulation to factory digital twins and autonomous robotics, giving European OEMs a turnkey path to AI-driven operations. Several blue-chip customers have already signed on: BMW Group, Maserati, Mercedes-Benz and Schaeffler will use Nvidia-accelerated applications to simulate product lifecycles, optimize factory layouts and automate logistics at scale. By adhering to the Omniverse Blueprint for AI factory designcomplete with Cadence's Reality Digital Twin Platformengineering teams can model the entire facility in a virtual environment before breaking ground. CEO Jensen Huang calls this the next industrial revolution, promising a tenfold boost in compute capacity for European industry over the next two years. Why It Matters: Embedding AI infrastructure directly into manufacturing hubs will slash development cycles, cut capital costs and help Europe retain its competitive edge against Asia's mass-production juggernauts. That said, Nvidia is sitting comfortably, with analysts projecting a 12-month price target of $174.71 nearly 22% higher than current levels. The spread is wide, though, with bullish forecasts reaching up to $372.90 and more cautious estimates around $100. The chart shows a relatively stable ride over the past year, but expectations are clearly skewing optimistic heading into 2026. Investors seem to be betting big on AI-driven growth. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data

Germany most expensive European country to charge an EV in 2024
Germany most expensive European country to charge an EV in 2024

Yahoo

time2 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Germany most expensive European country to charge an EV in 2024

Germany is the most expensive country in Europe to charge an electric vehicle while Turkey is the cheapest, according to research from Charging costs diverge dramatically across Europe. In 2024, it cost an average €13.83 ($15.88) to fully charge an EV at home in Europe, up by an average of 0.5 percent, while a 100-km (62-mile) journey cost €3.79, according to research by price comparison service which used data from Eurostat for the 25 top-selling battery-electric vehicles. EVs are still about 70 percent cheaper to run than gasoline or diesel vehicles, the study said. Last year, it cost €25.73 to fully charge an EV at home in Germany and €7.06 per 100-km drive, making Germany the most expensive country in Europe. In 2024, Germany's full-year EV sales shrunk by 27 percent to 381,772, according to Dataforce, after consumers were deterred by a cut in previous purchase subsidies. Denmark was the second-priciest European country to charge an EV at €24.56 per full charge and €6.74 per 100-km drive. Denmark still boasts one of Europe's largest electric vehicle market share at 52 percent, according to Dataforce, even as tax exemptions are tapered. Sign up for the Automotive News Europe Focus on Electrification newsletter, a weekly wrap-up of the latest electric vehicle news, including interviews and global EV sales data. Ireland was in third place at €24.14 for a full charge and €6.62 per 100-km drive. Last year, 17,581 new EVs were registered in Ireland, according to Dataforce, as sales continue to be buoyed by purchase subsidies, tax breaks and grants. In Ireland, new EV registrations were up 26 percent to 11,482 after four months for a 15 percent share of the new-car market through April. EV sales across the rest of Europe grew by 28 percent to 759,415 after four months, according to Dataforce. Italy (+79 percent), Germany (+42 percent) and Belgium (+31 percent) all showed steep increases in EV sales. 'While the average cost of charging an EV at home has leveled off, significant price differences persist across the EU, with some countries, like Germany, still enduring high prices while others are enjoying falling costs,' Eoin Clarke, commercial director at said in the study. 'The differing price trends likely stem from the withdrawal of government support brought in during the energy crisis (some of which were more generous than others) and ongoing conflicts, which impact countries differently.' Meanwhile, the cheapest countries to charge an EV are primarily in central and southeastern Europe, where EV ownership is less popular because of the high purchase and charging costs compared with average local wages, the report noted. Turkey is the cheapest at €4.05 for a full charge. In Georgia, the second least-expensive country, a full charge costs €4.59 followed by Kosovo at €4.87. On average, a full charge in Europe costs 4 percent of net weekly income, the study said. Sign in to access your portfolio

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store