Big tech promised us an AI-powered future — one that’s faster, smarter, cleaner.
And sure, it’s delivered in some areas (hello smart recommendations and AI copilots). But in others? It's been total chaos… with a generous side of public embarrassment.
And now, that wild AI dream has bounced into a whole new arena: tennis.
Yep — Wimbledon, the oldest, most prestigious tennis tournament on the planet, decided this was the year to fully bench human line judges and let AI make the calls.
We’re all for innovation, don’t get us wrong. But letting AI officiate live sports?
That’s a bold move.
And guess what? The tech fumbled. Multiple times.
So, what went wrong?
Pretty much everything.
For starters, the players weren’t loving it, the system that was supposed to bring accuracy and consistency, only brought complaints. Lots of them.
Emma Raducanu called out the AI for missing a painfully obvious out-ball from her opponent — one that was clearly confirmed by a TV replay.
Jack Draper, Britain’s No. 1, wasn’t impressed either. His take? The system just isn’t “100% accurate.”
And it doesn’t stop there:
Ben Shelton had to rush through his match because the AI system was about to shut down — apparently, it couldn’t handle low sunlight. (So much for machine superiority, huh?)
Some players literally couldn’t hear the automated voice making the calls. One deaf player said she had no clue when she’d won a point since there were no visual hand signals.
During a match between Sonay Kartal and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, the system glitched completely. It missed a clear out-ball, and the umpire had to pause, play and call a do-over.
And the kicker? Wimbledon later admitted it was a “human error”. Apparently someone accidentally shut off the system mid-match. (Which is kinda hilarious, considering the whole point was to remove human error.)
After all that drama, you’d expect some kind of apology or fix, right?
Well… Nope.
Debbie Jevans, chair of the All England Club, came out swinging. She basically said players used to beg for this tech.
But then, this isn’t just a Wimbledon problem.
Back in April, Alexander Zverev dragged the same tech on Instagram, posting a photo of a very out ball the tech somehow called in.
So yeah…the receipts are stacking.
And while Wimbledon says the glitch has now been patched, let’s be real — the trust damage is already done.
Bottom line:
This whole mess shows what happens when AI goes from supporting humans to replacing them completely.
And honestly? It’s making a strong case for why some roles — especially ones that need instincts, experience, and real-time judgment — probably still need actual humans in the mix.
Because if we’re out here arguing with a robot about whether a ball was out or not…Maybe the future doesn’t need another Terminator.
Maybe it just needs a little more teamwork.
Catch the full report here.
