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Paris Olympics 2024, or the Olympic Games, are underway in Paris. More than 10,000 athletes across 200 countries have assembled to compete in the oldest international sporting event of humanity. The event is considered a grand showcase of human athleticism, endurance, and sportsmanship. However, over the years, the event has also become an intersection of humanity and technology, where the latter has assisted in not only making the event grandiose and secure but also allowed the athletes to push beyond their limits.
The confluence of technology in such a human-centric tournament might seem like a strange juxtaposition. However, technology has allowed athletes and the organisers of the event not only to solve several pain points but also to elevate the experience for everyone involved. Let us take a closer look at how technology is shaping this year’s summer Olympics.
Paris Olympics 2024 and the Rise of AI
Ever since OpenAI introduced generative artificial intelligence (AI) in the form of ChatGPT, many have voiced their concerns over this technology which has the potential to become smarter than humans in the not-so-distant future. However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has embraced it.
Shooting event at Olympics
Photo Credit: Olympics
“The IOC will use AI at the Olympic Games Paris 2024, in different areas. A very important one is safeguarding from cyber abuse, since we expect about half a billion social media posts during these Games. AI will also be used to create highlights videos in multiple formats and languages during these Games. We are also using AI to make the Olympic Games more sustainable, through a very sophisticated first-ever data capture and energy management system. AI is also opening up new ways for talent identification, and this project will be launched by us globally in 2025 to live up to the commitment we made that AI in sport must be accessible to everybody,” said Thomas Bach, IOC President, in a press release.
Months before the Olympics in 2024, the IOC prepared an AI agenda supported by companies heavily invested in AI, such as Alibaba, Deloitte, Intel, and Omega. The following are a few ways AI is playing a key role in the events.
Protecting Athletes From Abuse
Participating athletes can often be subject to brutal online abuse because of one bad performance. With the pride of nations on the line, faceless Internet trolls can often direct their frustrations towards these athletes in the most insensitive and potentially harmful ways. To protect athletes from abuse, this year, the IOC uses AI to monitor hundreds of thousands of social media accounts and flag abusive messages for intervention by said platforms.
Tennis match between Lakshya Sen and HS Prannoy
Photo Credit: Olympics
The result? The social media platforms will promptly delete all such messages before the athletes can see them.
AI Chatbot to Answer Athletes’ Queries
With more than 10,000 athletes assembling at the international sporting event, many are expected to arrive with a plethora of questions ranging from “How do I reach my sporting venue?” to “Am I allowed to livestream my game?”. Usually, the athletes would be making countless trips to their coaches, event coordinators, and reception area to find the answers, losing valuable time that could be spent in training and resting.
Manu Bhaker wins a medal at Olympics 2024
Photo Credit: Olympics
But not this year. Ilario Corna, Chief Technology Officer at IOC, has revealed that the Athlete365 platform will have a new AI chatbot, in partnership with Intel, designed to answer all the frequently asked questions (FAQs) the athletes might have.
AI-Powered Sustainability Drive
The IOC is also concerned about the energy consumption of the Olympics. To organise an event of this scale, the power required to run every piece of machinery can skyrocket. While some of it is unavoidable, there is a lot of potential for wastage and areas where efficiency can be implemented.
Novak Djokovic at Paris Olympics
Photo Credit: Olympics
This year, the IOC is using AI applications to monitor energy consumption in Paris in real time. AI will capture and analyse data from across all the venues so the organisers can plan better the next year. For this, digital twins of the venues are being created to simulate where the cameras will be placed, where the power source will be kept, and if any additional equipment needs to be kept.
AI in Broadcasting Improvement
Another area where AI will play a pivotal role is broadcasting services. The technology will improve internal workflows, improve the viewer experience, and create drama and excitement in the storytelling of different sports events.
Fencing at Paris Olympics
Photo Credit: Olympics
“This includes collaborating with Worldwide Olympic Partner Alibaba to provide a record number of multi-camera replay systems with AI-powered, high-quality reconstruction in the cloud to create three-dimensional models and map additional viewpoints across 21 sports and disciplines. This will deliver more compelling replays from more camera angles,” said Yiannis Exarchos, CEO of Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS).
One interesting use case of this will be using intelligent stroboscopic analysis. Across a large number of athletics and gymnastic events, this AI-powered technology will help the viewers understand the biomechanics and complex movements of the athletes. AI will also be used in motion-tracking technology and to generate data graphs.
AI in Performance Tracking and Training
When AI can assist in generating data-rich analysis during the event, it would have been a waste if the same technology had not been used by coaches to improve the athletes and identify talent. Intel’s AI-powered 3D Athlete Tracking (3DAT) system was first used during the Toyko Olympics 2020, and it will again be used this year to help athletes understand their motion better and gain insight in real-time.
Swimming at Paris Olympics
Photo Credit: Olympics
The system tracks 21 points across the human body for precise physical movements. The insights then help athletes and coaches in improving movements to maximise efficiency.
Now, let us look at how technology beyond AI is shaping the Paris Olympics 2024.
The Starter Pistol
If you have watched any racing event in the Olympics, you must have noticed that at the beginning, an official holds a handgun and shoots it to indicate that athletes can now start running. However, these pistols do not carry any ammunition and are always blank. But here’s the interesting part. They do not even make an artificial sound.
Racing event at Paris Olympics
Photo Credit: Olympics
The logic behind that is if the Starter Pistol is the source of the starting sound, then the athlete closest to the gun will hear it first and the farthest will hear it last. While the difference might be in milliseconds, it still is an unfair advantage to some and a disadvantage to others when races are often decided on the tiniest margins. To solve this, these pistols are now connected to speakers placed behind the runners. When the official fires the gun, the sound comes from the speakers, making the entire process fairer.
VAR System
VAR, or Video Assistant Referee, is a technology-aided officiating system that has been part of the football world for quite some time now. The Olympics also integrates into the football event. The on-ground referee is assisted by an official watching the game on a monitor.
Canoe event at Paris Olympics
Photo Credit: Olympics
Whenever the referee calls for it, the official can use all the technology at his disposal to rewatch the incident from various angles and at different speeds to give the final verdict.
Drones
While many of us recognise drones at the Olympics from the light shows during the opening ceremony, these devices play a bigger role during the event. Drones are used by the organisers for the security and surveillance of both athletes and viewers. The drones can monitor large crowds, identify potential security threats, and even assist in crowd control.
Rhythmic Gymnastics at Paris Olympics
Photo Credit: Olympics
Drones are also essential in broadcasting to capture unique perspectives with aerial shots of athlete performance, the stadiums, and the surrounding landscape. During sporting events such as road cycling, marathons, and canoeing, these devices provide invaluable footage following the participants through different terrains.
While these were some of the major technology integrations in the Paris Olympics 2024, the list is much longer. There are bibs with sensors, cameras capable of tracking photo finish, hi-tech underwater monitoring systems for diving and swimming events, and much more. It is interesting how the event, regarded as an excellence of human calibre, is being transformed by the capabilities of technology.