Moreno Sacked by Russian Club Sochi Over Excessive ChatGPT Reliance
The artificial intelligence program "ChatGPT" has sparked widespread controversy after being linked to the dismissal of Spanish coach Robert Moreno, following decisions described as bizarre during his tenure with Russian club FC Sochi.
Moreno, 48, left his position last September after a series of negative results, having collected only one point from seven matches in the Russian league.
According to a report published by the British newspaper "The Sun," the club's management decided to terminate the Spanish coach's contract due to his excessive reliance on ChatGPT for making technical decisions and planning training sessions.
The club's former sports director, Andrey Orlov, confirmed that Moreno was a big admirer of AI technologies and used them to develop preparation programs, which led to unusual decisions within the team.
During an away match against Khabarovsk, Moreno strictly adhered to the digital platform's recommendations. He imposed a 7 AM training session on his players two days before the game, in addition to requiring them to stay awake for 28 consecutive hours, a move that surprised both staff and players.
Orlov stated in an interview with Russian media: "When we were preparing to travel to Khabarovsk, Moreno told us he had arranged all the travel details via ChatGPT. When I looked at the proposed schedule, I was surprised by the absence of sleep periods, and we didn't understand why we had to wake up at 5 AM and train at 7 AM."
The same source also indicated that Moreno used AI to search for a striker during the transfer window, which resulted in the signing of Kazakhstani Artur Shushenachev, but the deal did not deliver the expected impact.
Orlov added that ChatGPT became an essential tool in the Spanish coach's work, which negatively impacted the team's performance.
Under Moreno's leadership, FC Sochi was relegated from the Russian Premier League to the First Division. The coach also faced widespread criticism from fans due to his excessive reliance on possession without offensive effectiveness.
It is worth noting that Robert Moreno previously managed the Spanish national team temporarily for three matches before being appointed as official coach in June 2019, following Luis Enrique's resignation due to personal family circumstances.