Description:

Join us for NNCI's first Distinguished Speaker event featuring Dr. Inderpal Bhandari, Creator of Advanced Scout (NBA), Former Global Chief Data Officer, IBM. 

Title: "AI in Sports – From Discovery to Disruption" 

Artificial Intelligence is transforming sports in ways that were hard to imagine just a few years ago. From how athletes train and perform to how fans engage and organizations operate, AI is playing a pivotal role in reshaping the entire ecosystem.

In this talk, I’ll share the evolution of AI in sports through a personal lens, beginning with my work on Advanced Scout for the NBA in the mid-1990s. At that time, long before terms like "data science" or "machine learning" were widely used, we built a system that helped uncover patterns in game data to support coaching decisions. It was an early example of what we now call augmented intelligence—technology supporting human expertise—and it laid the foundation for how data and AI are used in sports today.

I’ll then explore the current landscape, where AI is embedded (or is embeddable) in nearly every aspect of sports. From tracking player movement and preventing injuries to optimizing team strategy and enhancing the fan experience, the technology has matured significantly. We’ll look at how machine learning, computer vision, and even generative AI are being applied across different levels of sport—from professional leagues to college athletics.

Finally, I’ll discuss the future. As AI systems become more sophisticated, the emphasis will shift toward a greater collaboration between human and machine, not just in decision-making in the business of sports but in areas like coaching, recovery, personalized training, and the intangibles of motivation and the mental game. All done responsibly—ensuring transparency, fairness, and ethical use.

Lunch will be provided. Registration is required.

Dr. Inderpal Bhandari is a global leader in AI and data-driven transformation, with over two decades of experience across healthcare, technology, and energy. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of The AES Corporation, where he is on the Financial Audit and Innovation & Technology Committees, and previously served on the board of Walgreens Boots Alliance, where he sat on the Finance & Technology, Audit, and Nominating & Governance Committees.

As Global Chief Data Officer at IBM, Dr. Bhandari led the company’s enterprise data strategy and helped position IBM as a leader in AI and hybrid cloud. His career includes senior executive roles at Cambia Health Solutions, Express Scripts, and the development of Advanced Scout for the NBA—one of the earliest AI-driven tools in professional sports.

He holds a PhD in Computer Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University, where he also serves on the faculty, guiding executive education and mentoring the next generation of AI and data leaders.