Our CEO Graham Dudley spoke at the 2025 AUS Fitness Expo in Sydney around the context and connection of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Actual Intelligence (AI) specific to the fitness industry. The content below covers the points raised and discussed.
Opening overview
Graham Dudley speaks with authority gathered from decades of experience in applying technologies across professional sport performance, talent identification, allied health and fitness industries plus consulting to leading technology manufacturers and innovators from around the world.
- 30+ years in global business development and professional business administration developing distribution networks internationally
- 20+ years in sport coaching, talent identification and coach education
- 15+ years in applied sport and health technology innovation globally
- 10+ years in allied health integration to sport and fitness for injury prevention and training development
- Founder of Global Performance Testing International, Co-founder of My Inspiration Never Dies, Co-author of My Mind Voyage, Creator of GPTQA and Co-founder of Reign Health and Sport Sciences, India.
AI v’s AI
Artificial – “made or produced by human beings rather than occurring naturally, especially as a copy of something natural” – Source Oxford Languages
In essence, artificial intelligence is combining data from resources developed by actually intelligent humans and then overlaid with some algorithms to allow assumptions to be made based on that data by the computer itself. This is fantastic when it comes to binary thinking (1’s and 0’s) as quick solutions can be made by logical thinking of the computer.
The issue is that humans are not logical. Humans throughout their entire existence have adapted and progressed through natural changes in the environment, intrigue to excel and not stick to the “norm” so we have to be smarter when using artificial intelligence in the health and fitness industries.
Good artificial intelligence can be seen on sites like Facebook for example. If you search for something or begin to look at specific topics, the artificial intelligence works on your behalf to filter out things you are not (potentially) interested in and more of the things you like are placed front and center on your feed. This is awesome if you are closed minded and only want to seek these things or you may feel that you are isolated with news, pics, blogs due to the artificial intelligence being over helpful.
In the fitness sector, I’ll use body composition analysis as a great example of the pro’s and con’s of artificial intelligence.
A Bioelectrical Impedance Analyser (BIA) or body composition scanner uses multiple electrical frequencies to pass through the clients body. These frequencies then determine the densities and mass of specific body components and then use algorithms to simplify the description i.e. Mineral (bone), Muscle, Fat and Water. The system does not identify gender, ethnicity, height or see the client physically or emotionally…it is unbiased and produces raw data.
The equipment itself has error and the data is not 100% accurate, we know this, but more important is the “actual” intelligence of applying the technology by the training and user as this is where most error occurs.
During the presentation Graham highlighted three experiences where user error was the critical factor in putting clean data into the system:
- Incorrect height
- Trainer asking the client for the data and assuming it was accurate
- Trainer doing a measurement inaccurately (wrong stance, wrong posture, incorrect instruction, wearing shoes etc)
- Training misunderstanding the technology’s need for accurate data
- Incorrect weight
- Trainer allowing client to wear clothing that has not been considered by the scanner (i.e. the system may have been set up with 500g of clothing by default however the client wears 100g of sports apparel)
- Trainer not checking for personal items in pockets, caps or other items that will increase the clients weight
- Entering inaccurate weight into the calculation manually
- Inconsistent test
- Client under/over hydrating before the scan
- Client doing a workout prior to the scan
Why is this important? Well, it’s poor actual intelligence from the outset that is sending unreliable, inaccurate, dirty data to the algorithm…it will now fail.
If the data was accurately collected and verified, the system would have the ability to consider normative information and be a reliable solution.
Solution: Professional Development
A great solution to reduce the manual input error by trainers, your staff and your organisation more broadly could be to ensure all staff have completed the short GPTQA Level 1 training course aligned for CPD credits by AUSActive.
This short course covers the fundamental knowledge required to understand the rationale and outcomes of field testing and assessing any client with validity, consistency and reliability plus knowledge on interpreting the data too.
Micro Study: The difference 50cm makes on 20m sprint performance time
Graham discussed the similarities of error in the sport performance sector and highlighted a short example in assessing 20m acceleration in athletes. A link to this report is available here.
Consider the flow, the GPTQA flow when learning about your clients.
Clients have individual needs, backgrounds and goals so it is essential you consider these in objective and subjective data.
The GPTQA flow helps you with initial assessment, ongoing tracking and long-term support that will ensure the very best retention of clients in your gym and health organisation.
If you would like to discuss the flow and its significance in your organisation and personal development, reach out to Global Performance Testing International by clicking here.
The Output: How great Actual intelligence can supercharge Artificial intelligence for your business
So we have discussed the importance of clean data in and provided some initial solution to make this part of your strategy. We know that AI solutions can then interpret and supercharge this data for you to produce amazing outcomes, ideas and opportunities so now we need to be able to interpret this data with Actual Intelligence.
Staying with the topic of body composition and considering that the data collected is reliable and consistent, you can now create unique, long-term programs and communication solutions to clients that are simultaneously holistic and personalised.
Graham provided an example of Explore84, a program that provides holistic support in a gym or fitness environment however is completely customised to suit every clients individual needs. From a commercial perspective, we can collide actual intelligence and artificial intelligence to maximise member retention, experience and positive outcomes for life.
Graham is available to discuss how Explore84 can be integrated into your business on a huge scale so feel free to reach out to organise a discussion by connecting on LinkedIn here.
Some take-aways:
- Play with AI and see how it can impact ways you think and process data. Why not start by searching ChatGPT about a hobby or something you are familiar with and see what it creates.
- Dirty In = Dirty Out. You must check the value of the data going into your system and make sure it is VALID, CONSISTENT + RELIABLE.
- Train your team and the importance of clean data and lean on GPTQA as a foundation of this knowledge
- Step back a little from the business and use data to give you more objective, less emotional feedback on what your business is actually doing to allow you to consider the real benefits you are providing for more effective and efficient management.
- Embrace AI. Anxiety is a fear of the unknown so learn and make it known. It is not going away now.
- Reach out – Graham and the team at Global Performance Testing International have gone through this process in Sport Performance, Education, Health and now Fitness so lean on their knowledge.
