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Over the last few weeks of March Madness, Précis has been running a “Man vs. Machine” experiment, pitting the NCAA Men’s Basketball bracket of Stephen A. Smith of ESPN against those created using six generative AI tools.

As we head into the Final Four weekend, Smith’s bracket is holding its own and might just win the whole thing.

While he is not the top point winner so far, he is in third place with 97 points, behind MSFT’s Copilot with 101, and Précis with 103.

But, Smith is tied for first with Copilot in terms of the points that are still left to be won.

One of the reasons for this is that the Final Four is comprised entirely of #1 seeds, and it so happens that that is exactly what Stephen A. Smith predicted. So, he still has the maximum left to gain.  

Similarly, MSFT’s Copilot did what Smith did and picked top seeds exclusively.  

A conservative betting strategy paid off for both of them. 

Précis, meanwhile, performed well to this point by picking three #1 seeds. But, its brackets have effectively been eliminated because it selected a #7 seed, Kansas—a traditional basketball powerhouse–for its fourth slot.  Mathematically, there is no way Précis will be able to overtake Copilot from this position. 

The only other contestant to still technically have points to gain is ChatGPT. But, its ultimate champion, Tennessee, did not even make it to the Final Four. So, ChatGPT can only earn 16 more points and will never be able to outscore Copilot or Smith.  

So, the “Man versus Machine” contest will likely come down to the last weekend and the last game.  

If Duke wins, the AI will win. But, if Florida wins, there is still a chance for humanity. 

When to Watch the Final Rounds of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament 

The 2025 NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four will take place on Saturday, April 5, at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. The matchups are scheduled as follows: 

Florida (No. 1 seed) vs. Auburn (No. 1 seed) at 6:09 PM ET on CBS. 

Duke (No. 1 seed) vs. Houston (No. 1 seed) at 8:49 PM ET on CBS. 

The National Championship game will follow on Monday, April 7, at 8:50 PM ET, also at the Alamodome.