The San Francisco 49ers are getting with the times.
Niners general manager John Lynch was not afraid to speak on Monday about how heavily his team relies on artificial intelligence to assist him with draft evaluations. When asked by a reporter about using AI, Lynch stated that they’re begun to utilized it “a lot, just like the rest of the world.”
“I think if you aren’t using it, you’re already behind. … Just like you at home planning a travel itinerary—you can just ask the thing, and it can spit out some pretty good things, some pretty good ideas,” said Lynch.
Lynch added that one does not have to be a tech savant or expert to reap the benefits of using AI. He also pointed to the team’s location as a competitive advantage in that realm. With San Francisco being the “epicenter” of technological innovation, the 49ers are constantly in close proximity to cutting-edge tools to help them on and off the field.
The Niners exec stated that he believes every team uses AI already “in some form or fashion” and predicted league-wide usage to rise in the coming years.
In the same press conference, Lynch revealed the 49ers’ plans for controversial wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. While AI can definitely measure Aiyuk’s value on the field based on his stats, only a human like Lynch can contrast those numbers against Aiyuk’s deranged crash out from last season.
