Overview
- Adam Silver announced on the Pat McAfee Show that the league will move a category of objective calls, such as out-of-bounds and possession rulings, to an AI, camera-based system.
- The system is described as Hawk‑Eye–style: multiple court‑lined cameras plus automated computer vision would deliver instantaneous, animated rulings and remove those calls from referee and coach challenges.
- Silver said referees will continue to make subjective decisions about fouls and player contact because those judgments require on-floor human interpretation that cameras and AI cannot provide.
- The push for automation followed a contested out-of-bounds/possession error in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals between the Spurs and Thunder and has generated immediate fan and media criticism over whether AI can solve broader officiating issues.
- No firm rollout date was given; reporting and analysts expect staged testing, likely beginning in the G League, and coverage warns the league will need to prove technical accuracy and manage unintended effects on game flow and how players sell contact.