Politics, religion and soccer. These are three subjects on which arguments are often endless. Few people agree and endless debates break out on TV, radio, social networks, streaming or at a simple gathering of friends.
That's why one user had the idea to plunge artificial intelligence into the deep waters of soccer controversy and asked ChatGPT to pick the ideal eleven of all time.
The answers, unsurprisingly, generated thousands of reactions on social media. Some of the names are indisputable and only a few were unanimous; the others are a categorical rejection of the poor artificial intelligence, which had nothing to do with this mess: it only chose from the information it keeps in its database.
So let's look at the selection of an all-time team eleven assembled by Artificial Intelligence. First of all, the tactical set-up. You can't pick names without knowing the positions they will occupy on the field.
Artificial Intelligence chose the traditional 4-3-3. This allowed for the addition of a midfielder, as it is arguably the most complex position to choose from so many talents in over 120 years of history.
The ideal eleven for artificial intelligence
Gianluigi Buffon in goal. He is one of the least talked about goalkeepers. He won the World Cup with Italy at Germany 2006 and reached the peak of his career during his first stint at Juventus. Who would dare to contradict “Gigi”? They would be surprised.
A line of four in defense. The pair of central defenders composed of the German Franz Beckenbauer and the Italian Franco Baresi. The Kaiser won the World Cup with his country in Germany in 1974 and “Picolino” did the same with the “Azurra” in Spain in 82.
The fullbacks are the Brazilian Cafu on the right and Paolo Maldini on the left. And Roberto Carlos? Many have said so. Controversy is something that even artificial intelligence will not escape.
With this first warning of controversy comes the moment to set up the midfield: an area in which Artificial Intelligence chooses three players to form a team with little scoring, but who generate so much play and have so much magic that it seems they won't need to get the ball back, because they will always have it in their possession.
They are Zinedine Zidane, Johan Cruyff and Diego Armando Maradona. Two world champions and the historical leader of the “total soccer” played by the “Clockwork Orange” in the 70s. We think not.
So the moment of truth arrives: the best attack in history for artificial intelligence. Names like Ronaldo Nazario, Marco Van Basten, Romario, Ferenc Puskas, Gabriel Omar Batistuta or Paolo Rossi do not appear in the selection ChatGPT. This decision has caused the anger of a horde on social media.
Those who led this historic team, for Artificial Intelligence, are Lionel Messi, Pele and Cristiano Ronaldo. A group of fans dispute the name of the Portuguese, but the statistics and his talent with the ball place him in a place of honor in the history of the beautiful game.
The Argentine and the iconic Pele have met with less resistance. The debate about the two, in which Maradona is always involved, is which one is the best of all time, a debate in which we at 180back would not have the idea to get involved.
I'm a big fan of short stories about people – I'm a pro at tech and smartphones, serial literature, and writing in my spare time.
