Tennis stars denounce AI line judge over errors at Wimbledon, call for bringing back human referee

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Wimbledon's move to replace human line judges with AI-powered electronic line calling (ELC) has sparked criticism from several players. The prestigious tournament is using the tech for the first time this year.

British star Emma Raducanu accused the system of missing a clear out call during a recent match. A replay showed the ball landed out, but the AI ruled it in, The Telegraph reported.

Jack Draper, Britain's top-ranked male player, said the system wasn't "100 per cent accurate." Other players echoed concerns about incorrect calls impacting match outcomes.

Ben Shelton was told to speed up play when the AI risked shutting down due to dimming light. Some players also said they couldn’t hear the automated voice system clearly.

A deaf player raised concerns over the lack of visible signals, saying she couldn't tell when she'd won a point. Previously, human line judges used hand gestures to aid in communication.

In another incident, a system failure forced the umpire to intervene during a match between Sonay Kartal and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. Wimbledon later admitted the technology had been accidentally shut off, calling it "human error."

The All England Club said it has since fixed the issue to prevent recurrence. Chair Debbie Jevans defended the system, arguing players had previously pushed for automation to reduce human error.

"When we did have linesmen, we were constantly asked why we didn't have electronic line calling because it’s more accurate than the rest of the tour," she reportedly said. 

The shift has sparked tension between tech advocates and traditionalists on the court. Some players say the reliance on AI is premature, while supporters argue it's more consistent than humans.

German player Alexander Zverev criticised the same system in April, posting an image of an apparent bad call. As more tournaments adopt automated judging, the debate over AI's role in sports is heating up.