Going Beyond Traditional AI - Spatial Intelligence and Immersive 3D Spaces Are the Future of Sports Innovation
Ever since OpenAI released ChatGPT as a free “research preview” in November 2022, artificial intelligence has dazzled the world of sports with its command of language and reasoning. This year in 2025, we've begun to witness the emergence of AI tools that can automate everything from sports websites, fixtures and scheduling, to summarising news articles, creating content videos and answering questions with uncanny speed and fluency across the entire sports and entertainment value chain.
But there’s a catch: current AI is great at language, but blind to the physical world of sports. It can talk, but it can’t see, move or truly understand the 3D spaces we inhabit. Humans, on the other hand, are creatures of movement. We navigate crowded streets, sense depth, and interact with objects seamlessly. This is spatial intelligence - the ability to understand 3D space, movement and physical interaction. And right now, most AI in sports totally lacks it. But that’s about to change.
Why Spatial Intelligence Matters to Sports
Imagine a world where AI doesn’t just summarise Wikipedia, but actually helps us move, play and create in the real world. This isn’t science fiction - it’s the next frontier of sports. When language intelligence collides with spatial reasoning, AI will finally start to feel human. True intelligence needs more than words. It needs to understand how we walk through a room, pick up a glass or dodge a defender on the basketball court.
This might be the biggest shift in AI thinking since the GPT craze started. And it’s in sports that the promise of spatial intelligence becomes most vivid. Unlocking spatial intelligence in AI isn’t just a technical challenge. It requires merging fields like neuroscience, cognitive science and computer vision.
Neuroscientists study how humans perceive and navigate space. Cognitive scientists unravel how we plan, remember and interact with our environment. Computer vision engineers teach machines to “see” and interpret the world. This convergence is essential. Too much of today’s AI mimics individual cognition, focusing on isolated tasks rather than modelling systems like markets, biology or collective intelligence. Spatial intelligence begins to unlock the true strategic shift from digital enablement to full-scale digital transformation in sport.
Future Examples
Our XV research team believes this is the shift that will define the next decade of sports innovation. And it starts on the field, in the ring and on the court - where spatial intelligence isn’t just an advantage, it’s everything. The next frontier isn’t more chatbots. It’s spatial intelligence. It’s AI that understands not just what we say, but how we move, interact and create in a three-dimensional world.
When language and spatial intelligence combine, AI will finally become a true partner - one that feels human because it understands what it means to be human. Spatially aware AI gives us a taste of what’s possible: helpers that see, move and understand our world, not just summarise it. These sports-focused intelligence systems could empower athletes, coaches, artists, doctors and everyday people, augmenting our abilities rather than replacing them.
Here are a few examples of where the future of spatial intelligence and sport will collide as we bring together the physical and digital worlds in the coming years:
From the Court to the Ring
• Quarterbacks in the NFL: The best quarterbacks aren’t just strong or fast - they possess extraordinary spatial awareness. They sense the pocket collapsing, spot open receivers, and make split-second decisions, all while navigating a chaotic 3D environment. Studies show that top NFL quarterbacks score significantly higher in spatial awareness than their peers. NeuroTracking uses 3D multiple-object tracking to train an NFL quarterback's ability to monitor moving players, anticipate defensive schemes and maintain situational awareness under pressure. Athletic Intelligence Quotient (AIQ) assessments measure visual spatial processing, reaction time and decision-making. StatusPro has been revolutionising realistic, game-like scenarios for years. Using AR overlays with smart glasses or tablets, quarterbacks can see virtual defenders, passing windows and receive real-time feedback on throw accuracy and decision speed during practice. Last week, META accelerated its hardware and wearables strategy by investing $3.5 billion in EssilorLuxottica, making a major bet on AI technology and smart glasses.
• NBA Players: Elite basketball players excel at navigation - finding the best path to the hoop, perceiving passing lanes and taking the right angle to defend or attack. Their spatial intelligence lets them “see” plays before they unfold, making them masters of movement and anticipation. The current breed of immersive sports tech, like Rezzil, Immersiv, Quidich and Quintar, are only scratching the surface of what will emerge with spatial intelligence.
• Boxers: In the ring, spatial intelligence is the difference between landing a punch and getting knocked out. Boxers process visual information, judge distances, and coordinate their movements in real time, relying on spatial awareness to anticipate and counter their opponents. Imagine next-generation technologies that go far beyond Jabbr and similar innovations.
Beyond the Field: New Frontiers
• Coaching and Training: Imagine AI systems that analyse athletes’ movements in 3D, offering real-time feedback to improve footwork, positioning and timing. These systems could help coaches design drills that target specific spatial skills, revolutionising training across sports. While the current generation of technologies - like AI.io, Vue Motion, Ochy and others - are promising, the next wave will be immersive coaching platforms that understand people, coordination and context, not just raw prediction accuracy.
• Injury Prevention: Spatially aware AI can track athletes’ biomechanics, flagging risky movement patterns before they lead to injuries. This proactive approach could extend careers and keep athletes healthier, longer.
• Fan Engagement: With spatial intelligence, AI can create immersive, interactive experiences for fans. Think augmented reality replays that let you “walk” onto the field or see plays from an athlete’s perspective. Whether it’s walking through a virtual stadium, replaying a game-winning goal in 3D, joining virtual meet and greets or navigating a packed arena with ease, spatially aware technologies are making sport more interactive, inclusive and memorable than ever before.
Market Adjacencies to Sport
Spatial intelligence doesn’t stop at sports. It’s the key to unlocking AI in:
• Entertainment and Gaming: Imagine AI-powered characters that move and interact with players in virtual worlds as naturally as humans do.
• Healthcare: Surgical robots that understand the spatial relationships of organs, or physical therapy assistants that guide patients through complex movements.
• Mobility: Autonomous vehicles that navigate busy city streets, drones that map disaster zones, and robots that deliver packages all require spatial intelligence to operate safely and effectively.
• Lifestyle and Urban Planning: AI can help design smarter cities, optimise traffic flows, and create living spaces that adapt to our needs.
Our XV view is that everyone will need a clear strategic vision. Governments, sports stadiums and infrastructure owners, sports technologies, and policy leaders must significantly improve at designing end-to-end AI ecosystems in sport - systems that account for people, coordination and context, not just the predictive performance of individuals.
The path towards AGI means leaving the desktop chat window and entering the physical room. And when these two worlds combine - language and spatial reasoning - that’s when AI in sport truly starts to feel human and creates next-generation experiences for all sports stakeholders at every level.
