San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch held a press conference on Monday ahead of this week’s NFL Draft. He gave a lot of insight into the team’s plans ahead of the draft, but one answer about AI certainly perked up a lot of ears.
Here is what Lynch said of AI:
"If you aren’t using it, you’re already behind… we’re fortunate to be where we are, kind of the epicenter of the innovation there… every team is probably using it in some form or fashion."
While Lynch doesn't get into the specifics of how San Francisco is using AI, there was predictably concern and panic.
Many immediately took this to mean Lynch and Co. were just asking ChatGPT who they should select in the draft, which is probably not the case. Lynch alluded to the fact the Niners play right in the heart of Silicon Valley, so odds are they have access to AI that can help compile data or synthesize it better than other tools available to the public.
It’s sort of the same debate about “analytics” in sports. A new buzz word gets thrown around and enters the zeitgeist, and then all of a sudden it gets blamed for why coaches go for it on fourth down so much these days. It truly just comes down to statistics, but just like any other tool or information at your disposal, you should not blindly follow it without also using your eyes, your ears, and your gut.
These are big, potentially franchise-altering decisions the 49ers will make this week. If they hit the jackpot, maybe they land a player like George Kittle or Fred Warner who has a huge impact for years and becomes a cornerstone player. At the same time, maybe their picks bust, which leads to the San Francisco's Super Bowl window closing much sooner than it'd hope.
With decisions as big as those to make, the 49ers would be foolish not to use every tool at their disposal. Just like the way head coach Kyle Shanahan has said that he listens to the numbers when it comes to going for it or kicking a field goal, he also uses common sense and an innate feeling that only comes with watching and coaching as many games as he has.
All of it has to be taken into account so fans worried about AI should relax a bit.
As a fun thought exercise, I asked ChatGPT, "Who should the San Francisco 49ers select in Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft?"
It gave an answer saying the team should probably go with an offensive lineman and concluded that offensive tackle Caleb Lomu is the best choice. But AI doesn’t reach that conclusion on its own. It synthesizes so much data so quickly, combing everything available on the internet like things that our own Peter Panacy has written about San Francisco's needs heading into the draft over on FanSided's interactive NFL Draft Big Board.
So, don’t think some robot is going to be making the 49ers' picks. The Niners had a lot of data and a lot of names to sift through as they developed a plan for what to do this week.
Lynch is absolutely right: not utilizing AI as a tool would be the most foolish approach possible.
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