Wimbledon, the prestigious tennis tournament, has sparked controversy this year by replacing human line judges with an electronic line calling system (ELC). The decision has been met with widespread criticism from players, who argue that the AI technology is not only inaccurate but also disruptive to the game.

British tennis star Emma Raducanu was one of the first to voice her concerns, pointing out that the AI system missed a ball that her opponent had clearly hit out. The ball appeared to be out even upon television replay, as reported by The Telegraph. Jack Draper, the British No. 1, echoed these sentiments, stating that he believed the AI technology was not "100 percent accurate" and that he felt some line calls were incorrect.

The issues with the AI line judges extend beyond accuracy. Player Ben Shelton had to rush his match due to warnings that the AI system would soon stop functioning in the fading sunlight. Other players complained about the new automated speaker system, with one deaf player noting that without human hand signals, she could not determine if she had won a point.

A particularly glaring error occurred during a match between British player Sonay Kartal and Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. The AI system failed to call a ball that went out, forcing the umpire to intervene and order a replay of the point. Wimbledon later apologized for the incident, attributing it to "human error" and claiming that the technology had been accidentally shut off during the match. The organizers have since adjusted the technology to prevent a recurrence of the issue.

Despite these setbacks, Debbie Jevans, chair of the All England Club, defended the use of electronic line calling. She pointed out that when human linesmen were used, there were constant calls for more accurate electronic line calling. "When we did have linesmen, we were constantly asked why we didn’t have electronic line calling because it’s more accurate than the rest of the tour," Jevans said.

This is not the first time AI technology has been criticized in tennis. German player Alexander Zverev called out the same automated line judging technology earlier this year, posting a picture on Instagram that showed a ball that was clearly out but was called in by the AI system.

These critiques highlight the challenges of replacing humans with AI in sports. They suggest that a balance between human and AI may be necessary as more organizations adopt such technologies. The case of Klarna, a company that recently decided to hire human workers after previously pushing for automation, further underscores this point. As Wimbledon and other sports organizations continue to adopt AI, finding the right balance between technology and human judgment will be crucial for maintaining fairness and integrity in the game.