Science

Who Will Win Cincinnati Bengals vs. Green Bay Packers? AI Predicts

Can the Bengals score... at all?

Getty Images / Kevin C. Cox

The Green Bay Packers look to bounce back after a tough loss to the Atlanta Falcons. The Cincinnati Bengals are really just trying to prove they have a functioning offense at this point. Even if they manage that feat, a hive mind of more than 30 NFL fans still think Green Bay has this one, predicting them to win with ease Sunday.

The Bengals have managed a measly nine points in their first two games, and the team has already offensive coordinator Ken Zampese. Given their recent track record of general success, Cincinnati is looking to avoid things getting really bad, but they face a stiff test in the Packers in Green Bay, even if the team has looked a bit underwhelming so far in a close victory over the Seahawks and their loss to Atlanta.

Subscribe to the Inverse newsletter. Trust us, we’re from the future.

The teams last met in 2013.

Getty Images / Andy Lyons

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 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 Lloyd 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.

Unanimous A.I.

There’s little doubt here, with the swarm putting 87 percent of its collective brainpower behind the Packers with high confidence. What dissent there was to this was mostly clustered around picking the Packers with low confidence, so there’s little question Green Bay has got this at home.

Unanimous A.I.

A nine-point spread isn’t small, and you can see the hive mind waver a little bit in how confident it is that the Packers can manage to cover. But ultimately the hive mind, with some reservations, is confidently on board for Green Bay to beat the spread.

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

Related Tags