Artificial intelligence in sport: a narrative review of applications, challenges and future trends

This narrative review explores the transformative impact of artificial intelligence (AI) in sport, covering its applications, challenges and future directions across key areas such as biomechanics, performance enhancement, sports medicine, health monitoring, coaching and talent identification. AI can potentially empower athletes to optimise movement, personalise training, improve diagnostics and accelerate rehabilitation. However, integrating AI into sport presents challenges, particularly around data privacy, ethical concerns and adoption within sport organisations. This review also addresses these issues, highlighting strategies for responsible data governance and transparency. Furthermore, the review explores the promising future trends for AI in sport, which suggest a profound impact how sport is practiced and managed globally, pointing towards an era of enhanced performance, health and inclusivity.