The Qualifier
Posts
Ciao, Guenther 👋

Ciao, Guenther 👋

What place does AI have in sport?

Vincenzo Landino
January 13, 2024

Good morning Qualifiers!

The unexpected and abrupt dismissal of Guenther Steiner from his position as team principal of the Haas Formula 1 team has sent shockwaves throughout the F1 community. While Guenther wasn’t successful on the track, he has been, by far, Haas's greatest marketing asset. To boot, he’s been one of the most marketable assets in Formula 1.

Steiner brought his serious motorsports chops from Jaguar & Red Bull to the US, setting up camp in the heart of NASCAR country, North Carolina. Despite witnessing the US F1 team's meltdown nearby, he wasn't put off. Instead, he schemed an ingenious move. He crafted a team from scratch, going against the grain with a mix of Ferrari partnership and pure hustle.

In F1, it's musical chairs for team leaders, but Steiner's been more than a principal—he's Haas personified. Steiner's ethos steered Haas like a true maverick.

His exit? It's more than a stat. It's a signal—performance counts, but the spirit he embedded in Haas? Priceless. His next lap? Sure to be as bold as his first.

The rise and fall of an AI influencer

Mahindra Racing recently introduced an AI-generated influencer named Ava. Ava was created to showcase the team's journey in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship and their commitment to a sustainable future.

Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.
I really hope the team behind this AI Ambassador isn’t just more dudes.
Cmon @MahindraRacing, it’s not hard to hire a real human woman.
— Vincenzo Landino (@vincenzolandino)
Jan 9, 2024

The team used artificial intelligence services to create Ava, which would document their progress and promote their core values. Ava's Instagram account described her as a "Sustainable Tech Queen & Racing Rebel Robot" to promote inclusion through AI innovation.

However, the idea received backlash from fans and media on social media. Many believed Mahindra should have hired a human ambassador instead of using AI. As a result, Mahindra decided to discontinue the project and deleted Ava's Instagram account.

CEO Frederic Bertrand stated that nurturing diversity, inclusion, and innovation is important to Mahindra Racing, and they value the feedback they receive.

What place do you think A.I. has in sports?