Flying across the sea, propelled by AI

The America's Cup, the oldest trophy in international sport, is competitive sailing's most coveted prize. When the 36th edition begins in early March, the race's defending champion, Emirates Team New Zealand, will hit the water having utilized a new crewmember: an AI bot created by McKinsey. Winning the America's Cup has always been as much about technology and innovation as it is about sailing. Boat designs are governed by the competition's "Class Rule, " which leaves small opportunities for design tweaks that might give one team an advantage over another. Those opportunities, if brilliantly seized, can translate into a shining race-day performance.