JARED Dillinger has kept himself busy in the digital technology industry after his retirement from basketball after he and his group recently developed and launched Agent Daredevil, an AI tool which serves sports and esports fans alike.

Agent Daredevil has three uses – a sports AI companion that can be utilized in sports betting and fantasy leagues, an NPC (non-player character) agent that can be plug-and-play inside video games and organized tournaments to make competitive wagers, and a peer-to-peer waging tool that people can use outside the game.

“This is something I’ve been working on for quite some time, having a very deep background, not only in sports, but I’ve been such an avid gamer. I was lucky enough to find people that have the same drive and vision that I have that I got to mesh up with guys like my partner, John Sedano,” said Dillinger during Agent Daredevil’s recent launch at the Coins.ph headquarters in Taguig City.

“We’re really excited, but we’re just more excited to show people the possibilities of how you can use AI and how you can use it to benefit your life better.”

Dillinger, the No. 2 pick in the 2008 draft and played for Talk ‘N Text, Meralco, and Barangay Ginebra, entered this venture armed with knowledge in the crypto space that he has been passionate about for some time now.

“I’ve been working in the crypto space while still playing basketball. It was like my pivot, if you will, which started back in 2020. So I'm not just the head (and) face. I got skin in the game. I worked behind the scenes in the crypto space. I worked in front of it. I worked for Dark League Studios, one of the biggest esports companies here in the Philippines," said Dillinger.

"So I’ve been around. I've been doing this. I've just been so lucky enough to find people like John and the rest of the team that resonate and have that same drive that I have. I can’t fathom how hard it is to find people like that.”

For his part, Sedano, Agent Daredevil's co-founder, said it is a thrill to work with Dillinger with his passion in the technology.

“I think his experience and also being able to lead teams into championships, I think that’s something that no other startup has at their disposal,” said Sedano.

“And JD as a co-founder just makes it even more powerful that it’s a line of business that he’s not only knowledgeable about, but he lived half of his life through. Bringing that to gaming, something that we both love and the rest of the team loves, it’s just gonna be a huge party for us making AI part of gaming and esports and putting the Philippines on the map once again after crypto.”

Jared Dillinger PHOTO: Reuben Terrado

For a while now, Dillinger has transitioned smoothly from the basketball world to the business world.

When asked what his advice is to players who would also like to venture outside the court, Dillinger said it is just like forming a team and taking advantage of the access and credibility that an athlete has.

“Sports and business, you’ll be surprised. It is very much the same,” said Dillinger.

“You need a team, you need a captain, you need to believe in one philosophy. If you want to win, you have to sacrifice for the greater good. And since you’re an athlete, people know you. You have a sense of trust, a sense of legitimacy, a sense of credibility. You get access to talk to all of these CEOs. I get access to talk to Boss RSA. I get access to talk to Boss MVP. And I get to pick their brains for free. I don’t even have to pay them to be an advisor

“These are all of the tools that you have around that you can use for your advantage as an athlete. The only issue is just that where’s the time? You can’t do it all yourself, it’s impossible. But these are the things you can start thinking about. You have access to all these big businessmen. Build a team, have people help you do this on the backside while you’re still playing.”

For more details about Agent Daredevil, click this.

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