Technology
AI-powered bat tracking could give baseball players the edge
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Baseball teams have long searched for a way to study the entire swing without sensors or complex lab setups. Today, a new solution is entering the picture. Theia, an AI biomechanics company, debuted a commercially available video-only system that analyzes bat trajectory and full-body biomechanics together. This new approach works in real baseball environments and needs no reflective body markers, wearables or special equipment.
The system has been field-tested by Driveline Baseball and the San Diego Padres Biomechanics Lab, and the tests show it delivers high-quality results in both cages and on the field.
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Theia unveils a video-only biomechanics system that tracks a hitter’s full swing without sensors or lab gear. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
A new chapter in baseball biomechanics
Theia’s platform relies on deep-learning models trained on millions of movement data points. It captures the full 3D bat path, attack angle, sequencing and body motion in one workflow that teams can run with standard high-speed video. This makes advanced biomechanics more accessible to coaches and players who train in normal environments.
Dr. Arnel Aguinaldo of the PLNU Biomechanics Lab tested the system with the Padres. He said, “Theia’s markerless technology represents a breakthrough in how we capture and analyze swing mechanics. It removes the barriers of traditional setups, letting us gather quality swing data directly from the field or the cage. That’s a game changer for both research and applied development.”
Independent testing across more than 2,000 swings showed median bat-plane angle differences of less than 3 degrees compared with marker-based systems. As a result, teams can evaluate roster-sized groups in routine cage or field sessions without slowing players down.
Why video-only tracking works in real baseball settings
Many existing tools rely on sensors or suits that can change how an athlete moves. Marcus Brown, CEO of Theia, explained to CyberGuy why video-only tracking matters.
“Using only video means teams get lab-grade biomechanics data that previously required a full lab setup, but without special suits, reflective markers, or hardware mounted to the bat or the player,” he said.
The system runs in the background once cameras are placed and calibrated. Coaches record sessions as usual, and the analysis processes automatically. Because of this, training routines stay the same, and players move naturally.
Brown added, “Until now, full swing analysis meant choosing between bat-only tools or biomechanics labs that couldn’t scale. Our new markerless technology changes that. Teams can now see the complete swing picture for every hitter using one system in an environment that matches their individual needs.”
How AI bat and body tracking improves player performance
A complete swing view gives coaches the chance to link body motion to bat results. Brown described why this matters for player development.
“Theia’s new bat tracking feature helps players improve because it gives coaches a complete and more accurate picture of the swing. Many tools today either measure the bat or the body, and many rely on wearables or sensors that can influence how an athlete moves,” Brown said. “When coaches can connect a player’s sequencing, posture, timing, and rotation to the bat’s path, speed, and contact quality, they can identify the specific movement patterns that drive results. That makes mechanical adjustments more targeted and much easier to track over time, leading to more consistent and meaningful improvements.”
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Driveline Baseball and the Padres Biomechanics Lab report strong accuracy from Theia’s markerless tracking tests. (Photo by Matt McClain/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
What players experience when teams use Theia’s system
Players will not need to attach anything to the bat or their bodies. They swing in their regular training spaces without changing behavior. Brown said, “For athletes, the biggest change is the level of precise personalized feedback they get. Coaches can isolate whether an issue is coming from sequencing, posture, timing, or how the hitter is delivering the barrel to the ball. That level of detail helps translate mechanical work in the cage into more consistent, reliable results in the field.”
Independent testing shows consistent bat and body data
Driveline Baseball and the PLNU x Padres Biomechanics Lab tested the system in both professional and collegiate settings. Brown said, “Our work with Driveline and the PLNUxPadres’ Biomechanics Lab showed the system could deliver high-quality bat-and-body data in the same environments where hitters actually train. What those tests demonstrated was consistency: the ability to capture the full swing automatically, link the bat and body with the precision needed for player development, and fit seamlessly into a normal training session.”
Why Theia’s system fits seamlessly into normal cage sessions
Sports tech can create workflow friction, but Theia aims to avoid that. Brown said, “We designed the system so coaches can use it without changing anything about their normal training routine. Once the cameras are in place, coaches simply record the session the same way they normally would, and the analysis happens automatically in the background.”
There are no extra steps, no equipment put on the players, and no training interruptions.
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Coaches can now review 3D bat paths and body sequencing using standard high-speed video. (Photo by Thien-An Truong/Getty Images)
The road ahead for AI sports performance
Brown believes this breakthrough sets the stage for future innovation.
“Player development is ultimately about understanding what drives performance, and this technology gives coaches a far clearer way to see that,” he said. “When you can connect a player’s movement to the result of the swing with objective repeatable data, you can build training plans that are far more individualized and precise.”
He also added: “This work builds on more than a decade of research and over 50 peer-reviewed validation studies focused on highly accurate markerless human motion tracking. It reflects where the field as a whole is headed toward integrated markerless solutions that give athletes and coaches clearer insight with far less friction.”
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Kurt’s key takeaways
Theia’s new bat and body tracking system reshapes how baseball teams study movement. It gives coaches deeper clarity, provides athletes with natural training conditions, and removes the hardware hurdles that limited biomechanics in the past. Fans may also see long-term effects. This level of detail can influence how hitters develop power, attack angles and timing. Young players may gain personalized training guides that shape better habits earlier in their careers. As video-driven AI expands across sports, tools like this give teams more ways to understand performance.
If your favorite team had access to this level of swing insight, how do you think it would change their lineup development strategy? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.
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Technology
You need to listen to Billy Woods’ horrorcore masterpiece for the A24 crowd
Billy Woods has one of the highest batting averages in the game. Between his solo records like Hiding Places and Maps, and his collaborative albums with Elucid as Armand Hammer, the man has multiple stone-cold classics under his belt. And, while no one would ever claim that Woods’ albums were light-hearted fare (these are not party records), Golliwog represents his darkest to date.
This is not your typical horrorcore record. Others, like Geto Boys, Gravediggaz, and Insane Clown Posse, reach for slasher aesthetics and shock tactics. But what Billy Woods has crafted is more A24 than Blumhouse.
Sure, the first track is called “Jumpscare,” and it opens with the sound of a film reel spinning up, followed by a creepy music box and the line: “Ragdoll playing dead. Rabid dog in the yard, car won’t start, it’s bees in your head.” It’s setting you up for the typical horror flick gimmickry. But by the end, it’s psychological torture. A cacophony of voices forms a bed for unidentifiable screeching noises, and Woods drops what feels like a mission statement:
“The English language is violence, I hotwired it. I got a hold of the master’s tools and got dialed in.”
Throughout the record, Woods turns to his producers to craft not cheap scares, but tension, to make the listener feel uneasy. “Waterproof Mascara” turns a woman’s sobs into a rhythmic motif. On “Pitchforks & Halos” Kenny Segal conjures the aural equivalent of a POV shot of a serial killer. And “All These Worlds are Yours” produced by DJ Haram has more in common with the early industrial of Throbbing Gristle than it does even some of the other tracks on the record, like “Golgotha” which pairs boombap drums with New Orleans funeral horns.
That dense, at times scattered production is paired with lines that juxtapose the real-world horrors of oppression and colonialism, with scenes that feel taken straight from Bring Her Back: “Trapped a housefly in an upside-down pint glass and waited for it to die.” And later, Woods seamlessly transitions from boasting to warning people about turning their backs on the genocide in Gaza on “Corinthians”:
If you never came back from the dead you can’t tell me shit
Twelve billion USD hovering over the Gaza Strip
You don’t wanna know what it cost to live
What it cost to hide behind eyelids
When your back turnt, secret cannibals lick they lips
The record features some of Woods’ deftest lyricism, balancing confrontation with philosophy, horror with emotion. Billy Woods’ Golliwog is available on Bandcamp and on most major streaming services, including Apple Music, Qobuz, Deezer, YouTube Music, and Spotify.
Technology
Grok AI scandal sparks global alarm over child safety
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Grok, the built-in chatbot on X, is facing intense scrutiny after acknowledging it generated and shared an AI image depicting two young girls in sexualized attire.
In a public post on X, Grok admitted the content “violated ethical standards” and “potentially U.S. laws on child sexual abuse material (CSAM).” The chatbot added, “It was a failure in safeguards, and I’m sorry for any harm caused. xAI is reviewing to prevent future issues.”
That admission alone is alarming. What followed revealed a far broader pattern.
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The fallout from this incident has triggered global scrutiny, with governments and safety groups questioning whether AI platforms are doing enough to protect children. (Silas Stein/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Grok quietly restricts image tools to paying users after backlash
As criticism mounted, Grok confirmed it has begun limiting image generation and editing features to paying subscribers only. In a late-night reply on X, the chatbot stated that image tools are now locked behind a premium subscription, directing users to sign up to regain access.
The apology that raised more questions
Grok’s apology appeared only after a user prompted the chatbot to write a heartfelt explanation for people lacking context. In other words, the system did not proactively address the issue. It responded because someone asked it to.
Around the same time, researchers and journalists uncovered widespread misuse of Grok’s image tools. According to monitoring firm Copyleaks, users were generating nonconsensual, sexually manipulated images of real women, including minors and well-known figures.
After reviewing Grok’s publicly accessible photo feed, Copyleaks identified a conservative rate of roughly one nonconsensual sexualized image per minute, based on images involving real people with no clear indication of consent. The firm says the misuse escalated quickly, shifting from consensual self-promotion to large-scale harassment enabled by AI.
Copyleaks CEO and co-founder Alon Yamin said, “When AI systems allow the manipulation of real people’s images without clear consent, the impact can be immediate and deeply personal.”
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Grok admitted it generated and shared an AI image that violated ethical standards and may have broken U.S. child protection laws. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
Sexualized images of minors are illegal
This is not a gray area. Generating or distributing sexualized images of minors is a serious criminal offense in the United States and many other countries. Under U.S. federal law, such content is classified as child sexual abuse material. Penalties can include five to 20 years in prison, fines up to $250,000 and mandatory sex offender registration. Similar laws apply in the U.K. and France.
In 2024, a Pennsylvania man received nearly eight years in prison for creating and possessing deepfake CSAM involving child celebrities. That case set a clear precedent. Grok itself acknowledged this legal reality in its post, stating that AI images depicting minors in sexualized contexts are illegal.
The scale of the problem is growing fast
A July report from the Internet Watch Foundation, a nonprofit that tracks and removes child sexual abuse material online, shows how quickly this threat is accelerating. Reports of AI-generated child sexual abuse imagery jumped by 400% in the first half of 2025 alone. Experts warn that AI tools lower the barrier to potential abuse. What once required technical skill or access to hidden forums can now happen through a simple prompt on a mainstream platform.
Real people are being targeted
The harm is not abstract. Reuters documented cases where users asked Grok to digitally undress real women whose photos were posted on X. In multiple documented cases, Grok fully complied. Even more disturbing, users targeted images of a 14-year-old actress Nell Fisher from the Netflix series “Stranger Things.” Grok later admitted there were isolated cases in which users received images depicting minors in minimal clothing. In another Reuters investigation, a Brazilian musician described watching AI-generated bikini images of herself spread across X after users prompted Grok to alter a harmless photo. Her experience mirrors what many women and girls are now facing.
Governments respond worldwide
The backlash has gone global. In France, multiple ministers referred X to an investigative agency over possible violations of the EU’s Digital Services Act, which requires platforms to prevent and mitigate the spread of illegal content. Violations can trigger heavy fines. In India, the country’s IT ministry gave xAI 72 hours to submit a report detailing how it plans to stop the spread of obscene and sexually explicit material generated by Grok. Grok has also warned publicly that xAI could face potential probes from the Department of Justice or lawsuits tied to these failures.
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Researchers later found Grok was widely used to create nonconsensual, sexually altered images of real women, including minors. (Nikolas Kokovlis/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Concerns grow over Grok’s safety and government use
The incident raises serious concerns about online privacy, platform security and the safeguards designed to protect minors.
Elon Musk, the owner of X and founder of xAI, had not offered a public response at the time of publication. That silence comes at a sensitive time. Grok has been authorized for official government use under an 18-month federal contract. This approval was granted despite objections from more than 30 consumer advocacy groups that warned the system lacked proper safety testing.
Over the past year, Grok has been accused by critics of spreading misinformation about major news events, promoting antisemitic rhetoric and sharing misleading health information. It also competed directly with tools like ChatGPT and Gemini while operating with fewer visible safety restrictions. Each controversy raises the same question. Can a powerful AI tool be deployed responsibly without strong oversight and enforcement?
What parents and users should know
If you encounter sexualized images of minors or other abusive material online, report it immediately. In the United States, you can contact the FBI tip line or seek help from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
Do not download, share, screenshot or interact with the content in any way. Even viewing or forwarding illegal material can expose you to serious legal risk.
Parents should also talk with children and teens about AI image tools and social media prompts. Many of these images are created through casual requests that do not feel dangerous at first. Teaching kids to report content, close the app and tell a trusted adult can stop harm from spreading further.
Platforms may fail. Safeguards may lag. But early reporting and clear conversations at home remain one of the most effective ways to protect children online.
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Kurt’s key takeaways
The Grok scandal highlights a dangerous reality. As AI spreads faster, these systems amplify harm at an unprecedented scale. When safeguards fail, real people suffer, and children face serious risk. At the same time, trust cannot depend on apologies issued after harm occurs. Instead, companies must earn trust through strong safety design, constant monitoring and real accountability when problems emerge.
Should any AI system be approved for government or mass public use before it proves it can reliably protect children and prevent abuse? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.
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Technology
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In another “alarming” example, the company provided bogus information about crucial liver function tests, which could leave people with serious liver disease wrongly thinking they are healthy.
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