Can AI pick a Wallabies team for South Africa?: Using Chat GPT and Bard to predict who Eddie Jones will select

There is still that sense of the unknown around the Wallabies as Eddie Jones prepares to name his first side on Thursday.

Jones is good for a shock selection or thinking outside of the box. He showed it in his TRC squad with the selection of Ben Donaldson, Josh Kemeny and Dylan Pietsch as 'utilities'.

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There are still significant selection battles yet to be resolved, showcasing the depth within Australian Rugby. Lock, back-row and fullback remain three key points of contention, largely bolstered by the loosening of the Giteau Law to five selections

Last year's enormous injury toll opened the door for several players to enjoy breakout seasons. Mark Nawaqanitawase is a great example of this in a congested back three.

With so many possibilities to consider, no one can comfortably predict which way Eddie Jones will go. So with this in mind, Rugby.com.au has employed artificial intelligence to see if it can predict the future.

2023 has seen the rise of AI chatbots, with ChatGPT (developed by Open AI/Microsoft) and Bard (developed by Google) the two systems gaining rapid popularity.

It is trained to follow instructions in a prompt and provide a detailed response.

So this was the question posed to both systems: 'Pick a Wallabies starting side and bench from this squad'

Safe to say it went as well as you'd expect. The moral of this experiment is AI is still years away from replacing the good old fashion selection panel.

The issue with Chat GPT is that it has limited knowledge of the world and current events after 2021. This become apparent when the first squad it picked included the likes of Izack Rodda, Matt Philip and Tom Banks - all unavailable.

When parameters were applied to exclude the trio, it was then trying to pick Taniela Tupou and Angus Bell at hooker, which they could've worked on during their time off, but very unlikely.

It finally chucked out a practical squad, alibeit one very left-field choice emerging straight away.

It predicted Jones to go full 2015 with his own version of 'Pooper', with Michael Hooper at openside flanker whilst Fraser McReight was selected at number eight.

So you then might be asking, where's Rob Valetini?

Playing Lock.

Yep, no matter how many variations were thrown into the chat, it insisted on selecting Valetini alongside debutant Richie Arnold.

"Richie Arnold and Rob Valetini offer a balanced and dynamic lock partnership. Arnold brings his lineout expertise and physical presence, while Valetini provides athleticism and versatility in the second row," the system justified.

The rest of the squad lines up as you may expect with a few interesting choices, with the likes of Jordan Uelese, Taniela Tupou and Tate McDermott to start.

"The side above is a potential best side based on a combination of factors such as player form, skill set, experience, and team balance," it said.

CHAT GPT XV: James Slipper, Jordan Uelese, Taniela Tupou, Richie Arnold, Rob Valetini, Pete Samu, Michael Hooper, Fraser McReight, Tate McDermott, Quade Cooper, Marika Koroibete, Samu Kerevi, Len Ikitau, Mark Nawaqanitawase, Tom Wright

Bard had a better time picking a more feasible squad than ChatGPT, largely down to it using Google's services to pull information straight from it's database.

It still had some troubles, insisting on picking both Allan Alaalatoa and Taniela Tupou as the two props.

This was the only real curveball thrown up as the system selected a formidable side for the first Test.

French duo Will Skelton and Richie Arnold were selected in the second row whilst also selected a McReight-Hooper duo in the back row, with Pete Samu at number eight

Bard opted for Nic White in the halves alongside Quade Cooper as Lalakai Foketi and Len Ikitau made up the centres.

It backed Reece Hodge to shine on the wing, with John Eales Medalist Marika Koroibete and Tom Wright completing the side.

"This team is a mix of experience and youth, with a strong forward pack and a balanced backline," it said.

"Cooper and Ikitau are two of the most exciting players in world rugby, and they will be looking to create opportunities for Koroibete and Hodge on the wings. The forwards are also very strong, with Alaalatoa, Tupou, and Arnold all capable of making big plays."

BARD XV: Allan Alaalatoa, Dave Porecki, Taniela Tupou, Will Skelton, Richie Arnold, Fraser McReight, Michael Hooper, Pete Samu, Nic White, Quade Cooper, Marika Koroibete, Lalakai Foketi, Len Ikitau, Reece Hodge, Tom Wright.