The Olympic flame is set to reach Paris in a few weeks, bringing with it 10,500 athletes from 206 countries, 20,000 journalists, and over 15 million tourists. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is utilizing AI technology to enhance the inclusivity, competitiveness, and engagement of sports in the upcoming Games. This innovative approach, supported by IOC president Thomas Bach, aims to chart new paths in sports and Games, ushering in an exciting era.
In a partnership with Intel, which has incorporated AI into all its products as part of an AI Everywhere strategy, the IOC is utilizing AI to ensure fair and inclusive Games. This includes talent identification, personalized training methods, and the improvement of sports equipment and programs. AI also plays a crucial role in promoting fairness by enabling accurate judging, enhancing event organization, transforming sports broadcasts, improving the audience experience, and making it more personalized.
The IOC’s most significant application of AI is through digital twins, as stated by Ilario Corna, the organization’s CTO. Digital models have proven useful for event planning, staff training, and enhancing accessibility, showcasing the commitment to inclusivity in the Games. By optimizing planning and execution through digital twinning, the IOC ensures accurate, up-to-date information during events and reduces planning errors.
Additionally, the Olympic Broadcasting Services will be recording in 8K resolution for the first time in Paris. Intel’s advanced compression technologies and processing enable this quality, requiring high storage and processing capacity. OBS provides unbiased footage to broadcasting organizations worldwide, offering AI services that help extract specific content quickly for creating stories around national athletes and teams.
AI also aids in talent identification, scoring, and judging, contributing to more consistent and objective results in sports like gymnastics and diving. The IOC acknowledges the challenge of managing risks and ethical considerations related to AI and has developed a responsible AI team to ensure unbiased results and protect the privacy and security of athletes and stakeholders.
While AI technology presents risks, the IOC has a framework in place to mitigate these, focusing on integrity and a commitment to eliminating bias in algorithms. Corna believes that AI should support human efforts behind the scenes to continually innovate the Olympic and Paralympic Games.