Key Highlights :
The Scottish Cup final is an event that is steeped in history and tradition, and it is no surprise that it is met with a certain level of excitement and anticipation. This year, the final is set to be between Inverness Caley Thistle and Celtic, and it is a match that has been met with some trepidation from the Invernessians travelling to Glasgow. After all, there is a conventional wisdom that suggests that Inverness are merely travelling to be sacrificial lambs in the middle of a colourful green and white pageant. But could this be a case of historical prejudices and conventional wisdom clouding our judgement? Could a super-intelligent machine, such as ChatGPT, provide a better insight into the make-up of this game and potentially have predictive powers?
The increasing power of AI technology has certainly been met with some criticism, and Professor Stuart Russell of the University of California has warned that “AIs have already changed society in ways that were not anticipated”. But with the computer revolution being as alien to some as ancient Sanskrit, it is important to remember that these machines are capable of profound analysis and could potentially have a huge impact on the role of the football pundit. This could be seen as a good thing, as human redundancy in this area might be welcomed by the public, but it is also likely that they would eventually pine for the days of punditry catastrophe.
This writer can certainly relate to the feeling of self-immolation that comes with being wrong about a football match. In 1971, when the world’s first personal computer was produced, this writer had the Scottish League Cup final to contend with. Easy, it seemed, as Celtic were “racing certainties”. But when Jimmy Bone scored Thistle’s fourth goal in 36 minutes without reply from Celtic, this writer felt like they had committed some mortal sin that would brand them for life. That experience ought to serve as a cautionary brake against pre-match observations, but this writer’s folly was global in 1978, when Microsoft released its first computer programme. During the World Cup in Argentina, this writer took the trouble to make an arduous journey to watch the Iranians in training, only to return to the cameras and dismiss these lumbering figures in a Grandstand report with words they can scarcely forget: “They only look fit for shepherding in the hills.”
This year, Caley Thistle are set to take on a Celtic side that is aiming to win a treble and break the seven times world record they share in that regard with Rangers. Despite the gargantuan odds in favour of Celtic, this writer cannot help but feel a nagging reminder of past follies. It is certainly a David and Goliath analogy for this final, but this writer buried that one forever in Seville in 1982 after David Narey scored the opening goal against Brazil in the World Cup, only for the angered Goliath to take out the mallet and clobber them eventually in their 4-1 response.
Celtic have certainly dominated the season with style and panache, and their recent mishap at Ibrox, where they were clearly second best, and the occasional lapses since, will inevitably move them to Hampden in merciless mode. This was personified by the puzzled and almost traumatised figure of Ange Postecoglou in his post-match interview at Ibrox, which suggested the treble will be the practical apology to an expectant support. But it is likely that even if events go strongly Postecoglou’s way, he or his players would not be looking to humiliate Inverness.
So, could ChatGPT really outdo this writer in assessing the Scottish Cup final? It is hard to say, as it is difficult to predict how a machine would interpret the nuances of a football match. But it is certainly true that these machines are capable of profound analysis and could offer an insight into the make-up of this game that is beyond human comprehension. It is also worth noting that even if ChatGPT does offer a better assessment of the final, it is unlikely to be able to predict the mysteries which regularly unfold in football matches. After all, this is a game that is full of surprises, and it is these surprises that make football so exciting.