From left to right: Autodesk Senior Director, Government Affairs and Senior Public Counsel David Ohrenstein; Cisco Distinguished Engineer, US Public CTO Office Kapil Bakshi; Business Software Alliance Senior Director of Legislative Strategy Bruce Miller; SAP Head of Technology and Innovation, Global Sponsorships Daniel Beringer; and Salesforce Director of Federal Affairs Charles McCray.
The world of sports is moving at a groundbreaking pace thanks to the innovative insights from artificial intelligence (AI). Experts from Business Software Alliance (BSA) member companies hosted congressional staff this week on Capitol Hill to discuss how their AI tools are affecting athlete injury prevention, stadium design and fan engagement.
Members of congressional staff joined the briefing that focused on AI capabilities within the sports industry. DTN’s latest report, “AI in Sports – Beyond the Game: AI, Sports, and Digital Transformation,” explores the newest advances using data to improve every aspect of the athlete and fan experience, both at home and at the game.
“The integration of AI into the sports sector has influenced decision-making processes among coaches and athletes, and how people engage with sporting events,” Senior Director of Legislative Strategy Bruce Miller said at the briefing today. “These real-life examples from BSA members show how AI is changing the game — for good.”
Miller moderated a panel discussion featuring David Ohrenstein, Senior Director, Government Affairs and Senior Public Counsel, Autodesk; Kapil Bakshi, Distinguished Engineer, US Public CTO Office, Cisco; Daniel Beringer, Head of Technology and Innovation, Global Sponsorships, SAP; and Charles McCray, Director of Federal Affairs, Salesforce.
The panelists covered how public and private collaboration can accelerate AI adoption, as well as how organizations are thinking about responsible data practices to balance innovation with privacy.
“Responsibility is important for us, so Cisco’s framework includes things like data governance, data privacy, data transparency, and data accountability, which we’ve published openly,” Bakshi said. “We put it out there, not just for public consumption, but also for our employees and how we can develop technologies responsibly ourselves.”
Coaches, teams, and athletes can reduce injuries, improve performance, and advance athletes’ careers with AI insights that go beyond just numbers on a page.
“AI-generated scouting reports often have a lot of descriptions, a lot of words — it’s not just data points, numeric space or a database like it used to be with structured data,” Beringer said. “These results are language-based examples with more detail.”
AI-enabled tech is learning about sports fans and tailoring their purchasing patterns through a customer relationship management tool like Salesforce, which can instantly publish ads that spotlight the jersey of a player who shot the game-winning goal or focus on a holiday-specific ticket sale.
“These are the kinds of personalization and customization that we see throughout the private sector,” McCray said. “These are all AI-enabled capabilities, and this is how Salesforce is helping sports teams make the most out of this technology, enhance that relationship, and build those bonds with their fans.”
Enterprise software companies are also working to improve stadiums through sustainable building practices, data connectivity, and effective crowd management. As a partner with LA28, the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, Autodesk will be assisting with developing the venues for the Games.
“LA is planning to showcase the city through complicated construction projects that prioritize sustainability,” Ohrenstein said. “In our AI tools, when you’re designing, it helps you model things like which materials will have a lower carbon footprint and ways to improve energy efficiency.”
According to the DTN report, the global market for AI in sports grew from $5.91 billion in 2023 to $7.2 billion in 2024. New trends like an increase in women’s sports and the rise of generative AI will have an impact on the sports industry.
Learn more about how AI is helping leagues streamline operations and build better stadiums in the most recent DTN report here.
