Science

Who Will Win New York Jets vs. Cleveland Browns? A.I. Predicts

The Jets look to continue their surprising season.

Getty Images / Al Bello

The New York Jets have clawed their way to a surprising 2-2 after a winless start. The Cleveland Browns are still very much in the heart of their winless start. A hive mind of about 30 NFL fans expects that to continue Sunday, as it’s picking the Jets to win in Ohio.

The Jets started the season with the potential to nab the number one overall pick, but that’s looking more and more distant a possibility after a solid victory over the Miami Dolphins and a close win over the similarly improved Jacksonville Jaguars. Beating the Browns would tie them in the AFC East standings with the New England Patriots and possibly the division-leading Bills, assuming Buffalo loses Sunday. For the Browns, it’s week five and they’re already playing for pride and for next year, even if they have looked better than last year’s 2-14 campaign.

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From their previous meeting in October 2016.

Getty Images / Gregory Shamus

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. 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 swarm waves between high and low confidence in picking the Jets, which explains the relatively low 76 percent collective brainpower, but there’s little doubt New York is the pick here.

Unanimous A.I.

The spread is even in this one, so the swarm feels little doubt in picking the Jets again, putting 82 percent brainpower behind the high confidence pick.

The game kicks off 1 p.m. Eastern Sunday on CBS.

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