Science

Who Will Win Carolina Panthers vs. New Orleans Saints? A.I. Predicts

It's a clash of NFC South heavyweights.

Getty Images / Al Bello

The New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers meet Sunday in the Superdome with identical 8-3 records and NFC South supremacy on the line. Who will emerge victorious? A hive mind of about 30 NFL fans predicts the Saints will win Sunday.

It’s deja vu all over again for New Orleans. The last time they played the Panthers, they were coming off consecutive losses to start their season a dispiriting 0-2. They then crushed the Panthers 34-13 in Charlotte, kicking off the longest winning streak any team has ever had after losing their first two games. But the Los Angeles Rams edged the Saints last week, meaning they again enter the Panthers game looking to bounce back from defeat. It worked out pretty well last time, but will it be the same story this weekend?

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From their meeting earlier this season.

Getty Images / Grant Halverson

To predict the result of this and other games, Unanimous A.I. used what’s known as swarm intelligence to forecast the week’s slate. About 30 NFL fans worked together as a hive mind to make picks. As you can see in the animation below, each participant controlled a little golden magnet and used it to drag the puck toward the answer they thought was the most likely outcome. As the users saw the puck move toward a particular outcome, it triggers a psychological response. They readjust their decision-making, building toward a consensus. Here’s Unanimous A.I. founder Louis Rosenberg explaining swarm intelligence at a recent TEDx Talk.

Unanimous A.I. has made some scarily accurate predictions in the past using swarm intelligence, as our previous article explains. For instance, the swarm went a perfect 7-0 in its most recommended picks for a recent English Premier League slate.

Unanimous A.I.

The hive mind predicts New Orleans will win, albeit with low confidence and 82 percent brainpower.

Unanimous A.I.

The swarm sees a close game here, predicting the Saints will win by four to six points, with 89 percent brainpower behind that prediction. Vegas favors the Saints by 4.5 points.

The game kicks off 4:25 p.m. Eastern Sunday on Fox.

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