AI in Practice at the 2024 Paris Olympics

Being hailed as the ‘AI Olympics’, the 2024 Paris Olympics will be memorable for more than its stunning opening ceremony and record-breaking athletes. This year’s Olympics will be renowned for introducing an impressive array of AI technologies. 

With applications ranging from athlete safeguarding to enhanced broadcast experiences and efficient energy management, AI and technology innovations have transformed some areas of the 2024 Paris Olympics, paving the way for future competitions.

In a groundbreaking initiative, the International Olympic Committee launched the Olympic AI Agenda in April 2024, which mapped out the impact that AI could deliver for sport. As the Official AI Platform Partner for the 2024 Paris Olympics, Intel introduced AI experiences to transform the Olympic experience for fans, organisers, athletes and viewers across the globe.

One example of this AI in practice is the introduction of Automatic Highlights Generation, which created tailored highlights across multiple disciplines, distributing these to fans instantly, creating efficiencies in production and editing. This AI automation enabled broadcasters to bring more customised digital content to viewers faster than ever before.

In preparation for the games, AI was used to enhance athlete performance and training, through tracking technology. AI systems can analyse biomechanical data by monitoring 21 points on an athlete’s body, giving coaches detailed insights into an athlete’s physical movements. AI can also assist in optimising training schedules and nutrition, as well as overall athletic performance.

Finding Future Talent…

Additionally, AI is being used to identify potential talent. Intel even made this technology available for spectators to try during the 2024 Paris Olympics. However, the use of the technology for talent identification has raised concerns about fairness and transparency, alongside the implications of AI-driven decision-making in sports training.

Refereeing and Real-time Data at the Olympics

Though AI’s application in refereeing is still growing, computer vision systems paired with machine learning algorithms, have assisted human judges in sports that require precise measurements or subjective scoring. 

For example, outgoing IOC President Thomas Bach explained that in the diving events, “the AI model can show the rotations, speeds, angles, everything that is crucial for a judge. AI splits the dive in sequences and analyses it in less than a tenth of a second, and can be shared with fans in real time, so they better understand where someone gained and lost points.” 

This also prevents audiences and athletes from complaining about a misjudged ruling. With the technology now available to give precise recounts of an event, the right athlete will prevail. 

‘Wearable’ AI was used during the games in combat sports such as taekwondo. Strikes landing on the sensors generate data that are collected, analysed and fed back in real-time to update the broadcasted live scoring.  

In Summary…

Where next for AI? It’s clear there are limitless use cases for this technology to enhance our lives. From automating mundane processes to highlighting the intricacies of world-class sports.

At Propeller, we are tech enthusiasts, staying up to date with the latest advancements so that you don’t have to. We only bring the best technology to our clients. Want to work with us? Reach out today.