Ryan Joyce has turned to artificial intelligence for guidance on managing the psychological demands of professional darts ahead of the World Grand Prix. The 41-year-old English thrower, known by his nickname "Relentless," sought advice from the AI chatbot ChatGPT to bolster his mental approach as he prepared for his quarterfinal match against Nathan Aspinall in Leicester.

Joyce, who has earned a reputation for strong performances in floor tournaments, has sometimes struggled to replicate that success on television stages. Prior to the start of the ranking event, he engaged with the AI to seek tips on handling pressure during crucial matches. Reflecting on the experience, Joyce said he initially turned to the AI out of curiosity but found its suggestions largely aligned with the mental strategies he has developed over his career.

“I said, ‘I’ve got a big game coming up, have you got any tips and how can I handle the pressure?’” Joyce recounted. “It gave us a list of lots of things to do and I thought to myself, ‘Well, I already do most of that. I already think like that.’ I’ve taught myself that from my experience of being a pro for years.”

Though Joyce has reached the semifinals only twice across 11 televised major tournaments, he remains focused on maximizing his remaining years in the sport. He acknowledged the difficulty of maintaining peak performance throughout a career and sees value in transforming negative thoughts into positives. “If negative thoughts creep in, I try to flip it into a positive,” he said.

Joyce also contrasted his approach with that of emerging players, noting the challenge of consistently performing at the highest level. “I’m not as young as I used to be and I am probably towards the end of my career,” he said. “It’s so hard to get everything right. I’m not Luke Littler, who seemingly can do it all when it matters — but I am always trying to get to that level.”

Tonight’s match against Aspinall presents an opportunity for Joyce to advance deeper into one of darts’ most prestigious tournaments as he continues to refine the mental aspects of his game through both experience and innovative methods such as AI interaction.