Artificial Intelligence and the Metaverse in Sport: Emerging Trends and Future Directions from a Bibliometric Analysis

Öz

In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) and metaverse technologies have found applications in areas such as athlete performance analysis, fan engagement and virtual event management, leading to a growing volume of research in these areas. The aim of this study is to reveal the bibliometric profile of scientific research on AI and metaverse in sports and to increase the knowledge at the intersection of these disciplines by analyzing scientific production and trends in this field. For this purpose, 255 publications on AI and metaverse in sports between 1992-2025 in the Web of Science (WoS) core collection in the period of October 2024 were examined by bibliometric analysis technique. As a result of the analysis, it was concluded that scientific studies on AI and metaverse in sports have increased over the years and attracted more and more attention. Especially the high scientific production in 2022 and the high citation rate in 2013 revealed the potential and importance of these fields. It is possible to say that this study is important in terms of identifying new research/application areas, emphasizing international collaborations, providing important information/data for academia/the sports industry, encouraging interdisciplinary approaches, guiding future studies and contributing to the relevant literature. In future studies, it is considered necessary to conduct more research on AI and metaverse in sports and to develop practical projects. In this context, it is recommended to conduct research to explain the effects of AI and metaverse technologies on sports and how these technologies can be used in sports organizations.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Sport management
• technology management
• digital technology
• AI
• metaverse

Sporda Yapay Zekâ ve Metaverse: Bibliyometrik Bir Analizden Ortaya Çıkan Eğilimler ve Gelecekteki Yönelimler

Öz

Son yıllarda, yapay zekâ ve metaverse teknolojileri sporcu performans analizi, taraftar katılımı ve sanal etkinlik yönetimi gibi alanlarda uygulama alanı bulmuş ve bu alanlarda giderek artan bir araştırma hacmine yol açmıştır. Bu çalışmanın amacı, sporda yapay zekâ ve metaverse ile ilgili bilimsel araştırmaların bibliyometrik profilini ortaya koymak ve bu alandaki bilimsel üretim ve eğilimleri analiz ederek bu disiplinlerin kesişim noktasındaki bilgi birikimini artırmaktır. Bu amaç doğrultusunda Ekim 2024 döneminde Web of Science (WoS) çekirdek koleksiyonunda 1992-2025 yıl aralığındaki sporda yapay zekâ ve metaverse konulu 255 yayın bibliyometrik analiz tekniği ile incelenmiştir. Analiz sonucunda sporda yapay zekâ ve metaverse ile ilgili bilimsel çalışmaların yıllar içerisinde artış gösterdiği ve giderek daha fazla ilgi gördüğü sonucuna ulaşılmıştır. Özellikle 2022 yılındaki yüksek bilimsel üretim ve 2013 yılındaki yüksek atıf oranı, bu alanların potansiyelini ve önemini ortaya koymuştur. Bu çalışmanın yeni araştırma/uygulama alanlarının belirlenmesi, uluslararası iş birliklerinin vurgulanması, akademi veya spor endüstrisi için önemli bilgiler/veriler sunması, disiplinlerarası yaklaşımların teşvik edilmesi, gelecekteki çalışmalara yol gösterici olması ve ilgili literatüre katkı sağlaması açısından önemli olduğunu söylemek mümkündür. Bundan sonraki çalışmalarda sporda yapay zekâ ve metaverse konusuna yönelik daha fazla araştırma yapılması ve uygulamaya dönük projelerin geliştirilmesinin gerekli olduğu düşünülmektedir. Bu bağlamda yapay zekâ ve metaverse teknolojilerinin spor üzerindeki etkilerini ve bu teknolojilerin spor organizasyonlarında nasıl kullanılabileceğini açıklamaya yönelik araştırmaların yapılması önerilmektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Spor yönetimi
• teknoloji yönetimi
• dijital teknoloji
• yapay zekâ
• metaverse

Kaynakça

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