Swarm AI Spectacularly Fails To Predict Kentucky Derby Winners A Second Time (techrepublic.com)

Thursday TechRepublic described the big prediction: In May 2016, a relatively unknown startup called Unanimous A.I. made big headlines when its AI-based platform used collective intelligence to create a prediction for the Kentucky Derby superfecta -- the top four horses, in order of finish. It made exactly the right pick, which returned $541.10 on a $1 bet... Churchill Downs took notice last year and decided to collaborate with Unanimous A.I. to create an official AI swarm made up of handicappers and racing analysts to predict the top finishers for this year's Derby. The track is calling this the "super-expert" Derby pick. On Wednesday, the handicappers logged into Unanimous A.I.'s UNU platform from across the US, and answered a series of questions that gradually narrowed down their picks from the field of 20 horses until they created consensus on the top four picks and the order of finish.
Here's my report on the results...
Below are the picks that resulted from the "AI swarm" guessing which of the 20 thoroughbreds in today's race were most likely to win -- along with each horse's actual finishing position in parentheses (as reported by CBS).

• 1. Classic Empire (finished 4th)
• 2. McCracken (finished 8th)
• 3. Irish War Cry (finished 10th)
• 4. Always Dreaming (finished 1st)
• 5. Hence (finished 11th)
• 6. Gunnevera (finished 7th)
• 7. Practical Joke (finished 5th)
• 8. Battle of Midway (finished 3rd)
• 9. Tapwrit (finished 6th)
• 10. J Echo Boys (finished 15th)
• 11. Sonneteer (finished 16th)

TechRepublic reports that the swarm "also picked the unheralded horses with the best chance of sneaking into the top four."

• 1. Practical Joke (finished 5th)
• 2. Battle of Midway (finished 3rd)
• 3. Tapwrit (finished 6th)
• 4. J Boys Echo (finished 15th)

But even before the race, there were suspicions the AI swarm couldn't successfully predict this year's winners, according to TechRepublic. "While last year's swarm was clear-cut because it was a top-heavy field with a few outstanding horses, this year's swarm reflected the fact that the race is more of a toss-up in 2017."

Comments

Clever AI

[hcs_$reboot]

In 2016 win. In 2017, everyone wants to bet on AI "predicted" horses, which are intentionally wrong. AI team bets on truly predicted horses. Big money for the team.

Why is that not the best answer

[SuperKendall]

I told him I just chose the horse that looked the most 'Sexy' in the paddock.

But perhaps that was your subconscious way or translating how fit and ready each of the horses really were for the races that day!

Your dad is an idiot; he should have fostered and honed your skill for snap evaluation for the physical quality of horses on race day.