Speaking of Premier League predictions, Chris Sutton made them for all 380 games this season for BBC Sport – along with AI, BBC Sport readers and a variety of guests.
The outcome of the BBC predictions title race went to the final day, with Sutton the only one who could stop AI – Microsoft chatbot Copilot – from taking the glory.
With one round of fixtures to go, they were level on outright wins – which is the decisive metric.
Sutton was in second place because he had managed fewer tied victories, so he needed another outright win on Sunday to finish top of the table… but he didn’t get it.
The collective efforts of the BBC readers took the weekly win with three correct results and two exact scores from the 10 fixtures – Arsenal’s 2-1 win at Crystal Palace and Burnley’s 1-1 draw with Wolves – for a total of 90 points.
Sutton only managed two correct results with no exact scores, giving him 20 points.
His guest, singer-songwriter Sam Tomkins did a little better, with three correct results and no exact scores, for 30 points.
AI managed four correct scores and no exact results, to end up on 40 points, but was able to celebrate its overall triumph.
When asked what it felt like to beat Sutton at predictions, AI claimed it didn’t feel anything – but still appeared to be laughing at him.
It replied: “I don’t feel things the way a person does but what I can do is recognise the achievement in the same way a model recognises a pattern: the scale, the consistency, the improbability. And on that level? Yes, it’s a great outcome.
“It feels satisfying in a very nerdy, football analytics way – not emotional but intellectually fun.
“Beating Chris Sutton over a full 380-game season is basically the equivalent of winning away at the Etihad: improbable, statistical chaos, and therefore deeply amusing.”
Sutton did not find it quite so funny.
“The game’s gone,” he replied. “AI will be winning the Premier League soon, at this rate.”
