The 2024 Olympics in Paris is going to be etched in history, not just for its brilliant athletic performances but also for its innovative use of Artificial Intelligence. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has decided to use AI in different areas, ranging from security to providing personalized fan experiences. Let us look at how AI is helping to make the Paris 2024 Olympics even more exciting.
1) Assist Athletes with the Latest Information
The IOC launched an AI-powered chatbot “AthleteGPT” for the Paris Olympics 2024. It can be accessed on the Athlete365 app. The application helps athletes in getting their queries related to the Olympics answered anytime. It will be able to scour thousands of information pages very quickly and provide all the latest updates on the games being played at all the venues.
This chatbot has been developed by Paris-based company, Mistral AI, in partnership with Intel.
2) Enhanced Security for Olympics’ Athletes
The safety of athletes is always the top priority at the Olympics. For the 2024 games, AI-based surveillance systems have been installed in stadiums to scan and detect any suspicious activity. These systems can identify unusual activities and potential threats in milliseconds, significantly improving response times and overall security.
Facial recognition technology ensures that only authorized personnel can access restricted areas, adding another layer of protection for the athletes.
3) Performance and Training of Athletes
One of the most impactful areas of AI is providing real-time performance analytics. AI-powered cameras and sensors track every movement, delivering detailed reports on speed, form, and technique.
Athletes can analyze their performance and coaches can provide instant feedback which allows them to rethink their strategies. Coaches can make quick adjustments based on the insights given by the advanced AI algorithms. This allows broadcasters also with the ability to display much more than just the standard footage.
Thanks to AI, they can showcase detailed metrics such as acceleration, top speeds, and stride lengths. This provides viewers with a deeper understanding of the athletes’ performances. This will also help referees to make crucial decisions which may not be possible otherwise.
4) Reducing Online Abuse
The IOC has developed an AI-powered system that will monitor thousands of accounts on all major social media platforms and in 35+ languages in real-time.
Any identified threats will be flagged, so that abusive messages can be dealt with effectively by the relevant social media platforms – in many cases before the athlete has even had the chance to see the abuse. This will help to protect the mental well-being of the athletes.
“There are so many fantastic opportunities for athlete engagement, but unfortunately online violence is inescapable, particularly when athletes rely on social media for their profile. This is a critical challenge for us because safe sporting environments also have to mean safe digital environments.”
Kirsty Burrows, Head of the Safe Sport Unit at the IOC
The online monitoring system will be available to cover 15,000 athletes and more than 2,000 officials across the Olympic and Paralympic games.
5) Stadium Monitoring
The stadiums are packed with advanced sensors and IoT devices, which means they can monitor everything happening. From tracking crowd movements to managing resources and safety protocols, these smart systems are on it.
Imagine AI predicting when crowds will be at their peak, based on past data. This helps manage entry and exit points smoothly, reducing wait times and preventing overcrowding. This will help to keep everyone safe.
In addition to this, the systems can adjust lighting, temperature, and other environmental factors according to the environment making sure both athletes and spectators are comfortable and everything runs smoothly.
6) Customized Highlights
Automatic Highlights Generation is one of the most interesting features for the fans. This AI-driven tool will automatically compile key moments from 14 different sports into personalized highlight reels, tailored to the preferences of Media Rights-Holders. This will improve engagement on digital and social media platforms as well.
The automatic highlights are created using AI models trained with Intel’s Geti AI software tools. They have been trained sport by sport with content that was retrieved from the vast Olympic sports video archive. This ensures that the highlights are accurate and capture the essence of each sport, providing fans with the best viewing experience.
These are all different ways AI is becoming a part of the Sports world and we would love to see how the next Olympics will integrate new technologies to give a better experience for athletes and audiences.
