We are in a world where robots compete against humans and while perfect scores might be impressive, they are also dull
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t hurts to miss an unmarked shot in basketball. And it certainly seemed to pain the Alvark Tokyo shooter, halfway through April’s Japanese league game against Shimane Susanoo Magic. As the ball bounded off the rim, the player wheeled away, head lowered, eyes downcast. The disappointment looked glaringly real.
Which is interesting, because it was not. The player could not have cared less. They literally could not care at all, and not just because this was a half-time exhibition. It was because they were a robot, created by Alvark Tokyo’s team sponsor, Toyota.
CUE7 is not the first AI-powered b-baller, but it is the coolest-looking so far. At 7ft 2in, it wears the team kit well, gliding easily around the court with wheels for feet and hoops for hands. Red, jointed limbs sport a metallic sheen that might, on a human, be sweat. Alongside a cyclops-style eye, the cameras that help guide its movements have been fashioned into deeply familiar features, like the LeBron James-style beard and headband.
