Artificial Intelligence: the new player at the 2024 Summer Olympics
What are the ways AI is transforming the Games, from lighting the torch to the closing ceremony?
As the 2024 Olympic Games capture the attention of millions of spectators around the world, artificial intelligence is radically transforming the experience of sports fans and athletes alike.
Artificial intelligence, renowned for pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in recent years, is playing a decisive role both on the pitch and behind the scenes. From enhanced streaming to predictive analytics and accelerated footage sorting, the integration of AI has become an inescapable feature of the Paris Olympics.
What are the ways AI is transforming the Games, from lighting the torch to the closing ceremony?
Unprecedented broadcast quality
With the advent of AI-driven compression technologies, the 2024 Olympic Games promise unrivalled viewing quality. Videos and images can now reach a staggering 8K resolution thanks to AI-driven upscaling. This technology anticipates and completes missing pixels while adjusting brightness, contrast, saturation and sharpness, delivering razor-sharp detail. Every taut muscle, every drop of sweat and every emotion of the athletes is visible with impressive clarity. Artificial intelligence Olympic Games
As well as improving video quality, AI speeds up production by sorting footage and selecting the best angles in seconds, reducing the burden on an army of producers. This streamlining is particularly advantageous for following the 329 events and the performances of the more than 10,000 athletes taking part in these Games. It’s also a way of enhancing and personalizing the viewer experience, in every country. Without AI, it would be impossible to mobilize enough people to do this.
Predictive maintenance and analysis: logistics under control
With such an impressive number of events and athletes, the Olympic Games require impeccable logistics. AI comes into play behind the scenes to ensure that facilities run smoothly, thanks to predictive maintenance. This technology anticipates potential breakdowns, thus avoiding malfunctions and delays that could disrupt events.
Like Arsenal Women’s Football Club, which uses AI to optimize training programs and analyze performance, Olympic teams will benefit from these technologies to keep athletes fit and healthy. AI even helps judge subjective disciplines such as gymnastics and diving, generating precise data on rotations, speeds and angles. Artificial intelligence Olympic Games
Ethics and privacy: towards more responsible AI?
The use of AI does, however, raise ethical and privacy issues. At the Beijing Games in 2022, facial recognition was widely used to enhance security. However, this practice is banned at the Paris Games, in line with stricter European regulations on data collection and use, notably with the AI Act. This change reflects a maturation towards the responsible use of AI. Debates on the impact of AI in our society continue, particularly on its role in public safety.
Although facial recognition is not used in Paris, the integration of AI into security protocols is effective. In fact, for the first time, the law of May 19, 2023 relating to the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games authorizes the use of artificial intelligence solutions in video protection. This legislation establishes a precise legal framework, guaranteeing respect for fundamental and individual freedoms while enabling the application of advanced technologies to ensure security during this global event. AI is also used to count crowds at Olympic venues in real time. Artificial intelligence Olympic Games
In conclusion, AI, although invisible on the podium, plays an essential role in this celebration of these human achievements. The 2024 Olympic Games mark a milestone in the use of AI, the effects of which are vast and perceptible throughout this edition. This focus on AI also opens up new ethical and technological perspectives for the months to come. Indeed, the application and acceptance of AI in such a large-scale event could accelerate the introduction of stricter regulations and the promotion of ethical and responsible AI. The innovations observed could inspire other sectors to adopt similar technologies, while stimulating a global dialogue on best practices for balancing technological innovation and respect for individual rights.