Who Will Win in Chiefs vs. Patriots? AI Predicts

Tom Brady and the New England Patriots managed the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history last season to emerge as champions. Now they open their title defense Thursday night by hosting the Kansas City Chiefs, a team that’s still looking to break through after years of early playoff heartbreak. A hive-mind of more than 40 football fans aren’t bullish on Kansas City’s chances, picking New England to emerge victorious.

The Patriots won their fifth title in 16 seasons even in a year when Tom Brady was suspended for the first four games of the year. Without any such handicaps this year, New England is in a position to get rolling straight away on their quest for a sixth Super Bowl, which would tie them with the Pittsburgh Steelers for most of any team. But we’re getting way ahead of ourselves, as the Chiefs have every intention of kicking off their own dream season by beating the Patriots on the road.

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. More than 40 NFL fans worked together as an online hive-mind to make picks. 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.

Unanimous A.I. has made some scarily accurate predictions in the past using swarm intelligence, as our previous article explains.

In this case, the swarm predicts with high confidence that the Patriots will beat the Chiefs, with a whopping 89 percent of the swarm’s brainpower pulling toward that outcome.

For those interested in betting on the game, the swarm also likes the Patriots to cover the fairly sizable nine-point spread, making them the hive-mind’s recommended pick. There the swarm isn’t quite as confident, though, with only 72 percent of the collective brainpower swinging in that direction.

All in all, things are looking good for the Patriots. But then, love them or hate them, that always seems to be the case.