Situating Sports Science in the Movement of Digitization

This chapter reflects upon how Artificial Intelligence (AI) in sports science is situated in the broader movement of digitization, which in turn takes a special place in mathematization. It addresses the question: If a field is getting into AI, what impact will this potentially have from a philosophical point of view? It argues that epistemic opacity is part-and-parcel of digitization and, all the more, of AI. This makes prediction an even more important criterion for scientific success, whereas the capability for explanation is seriously diminished. Finally, the chapter explores how the use of software leads to a new social organization of science.