“Such cannon fodder”: Michael Jordan’s 23XI employee brutally reacts to NASCAR’s recent AI comments

NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan owned 23XI Racing's employee recently slammed NASCAR for suggesting their use of GenAI (Generative Artificial Intelligence) to aid a new playoff format. Speculations about the change in the playoff format have been floating since the end of the 2024 season.

Sports Business Journal's Adam Stern recently reported that NASCAR is assessing the potential of GenAI to create a better and fair format for the sport. NASCAR COO Steve O'Donnell shared his thoughts on the same, saying:

"I think Al can play a really big role in that. When we created even the stages or playoff format, you did that with the best data you had and best minds you had, but now being able to plug in and work with Al in terms of, "OK, if you tweak the playoffs this way, what should we be watching out for' or 'How could that affect the sport?'" he said

Sharing this post, Michael Jordan's engineer JR Houston slammed NASCAR for suggesting the use of A.I to create a better format and not depend on 'math' and 'statistics'.

"It’s unfortunate that the tagline of “artificial intelligence” is just slapped onto anything now. Golf clubs “designed by AI” was a funny one I saw today. Simple terms like *math* and *statistics* just aren’t sexy enough. Playoff format designed by AI is such cannon fodder," Houston wrote.

This comes after champion Joey Logano's championship triumph this season. Logano, who pilots the #22 Ford for Team Penske had a lower average finish than several playoff drivers like Michael Jordan's Tyler Reddick and HMS ace Kyle Larson. Critics argue this format unfairly sidelines statistically stronger drivers, sparking debate over NASCAR’s playoff system.

Meanwhile, Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin's 23XI Racing secured a pivotal victory in their antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR. The ruling allows them to continue as chartered teams and acquire a third charter for 2025 from Stewart-Haas Racing, which ceased operations following the 2024 season.

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“I don’t know how people can discredit me now”: Riley reflects on Cup move following his 23XI Racing deal with Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin

Former SHR driver Riley Herbst climbed up the NASCAR ladder and struck a deal with 23XI Racing, as the pilot of their third entry, the #35 Toyota Camry XSE. Following his announcement, the three-time Xfinity race winner shared his thoughts on this pivotal moment of his NASCAR career.

Micheal Jordan's newest driver believes no one can 'discredit' him now that he is a full-time driver in the Cup Series. He said: (via SpeedFreaks on YouTube):

"A lot of people, I'm not going to say names but a lot of people will say that, 'X driver is the future of the sport,' and now I have the same number of wins as him. So I don't know how people can discredit me now," Riley Herbst said (0:52).

The Cup Series is set to return with its pre-season race at Bowman Gray Stadium. The race is scheduled for 8:00 PM ET on Sunday, February 2nd. Catch the action on FOX, MRN, and SiriusXM.