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NLJ this week: Game on as AI reshapes sport

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Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming sport, from recruitment and training to officiating and fan engagement. Writing in NLJ this week, Professor Dr Ian Blackshaw of Valloni Attorneys at Law explains how AI now influences everything from injury prevention to tactical decisions, with clubs using tools such as ‘TacticAI’ to gain competitive edges

But alongside innovation come serious legal and governance challenges. Blackshaw highlights unresolved questions around data protection, ownership of athlete data, bias and liability when AI systems make mistakes—noting that ‘determining legal responsibility when an AI system makes an error is a complex issue with little clear regulation’.

Financial disparities may also widen as only wealthy clubs can afford advanced systems. While initiatives such as the Olympic AI Agenda aim to promote fairness and integrity, regulation is struggling to keep pace.

Blackshaw concludes that strong governance and human oversight are essential if AI is to support, rather than undermine, sporting integrity.

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NEWS
The Law Society RFC Festival of Sport returns next month, bringing together legal and financial services professionals for one of the sector’s largest annual sporting events
Legal aid deserts leave almost one in four without adequate access to justice
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has warned solicitors and law firms that using artificial intelligence does not alter their professional obligations, amid concerns over inaccurate legal material and client confidentiality
From forgotten interest claims to case-management appeals, a string of procedural developments offers useful—and occasionally cautionary—lessons for practitioners

Jonathan Fisher KC highlights that it now accounts for around 40% of criminal offences, with roughly 70% involving technology, and argues that the UK cannot simply prosecute its way out of the problem. Detection, investigation and prosecution all require improvement, while different fraud types demand tailored responses.

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