Worldwide sporting events like the FIFA World Cup and the Olympic and Paralympic Games have been some of the world's most unifying events for more than a century, during the attention of spectators and enthusiasts from around the globe to watch the greatest athletes of our time compete for a place in history. The Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris twenty twenty four will be different from all the rest thanks to new technology that will help make it the smartest
Olympic Games yet. How can Intel AI platforms and advanced data analytics revolutionize the experience of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in the stadium and at home. Join us as we learn more about what happens when the world's most innovative minds join forces with the world's greatest athletes in the quest for gold. Welcome to Technically Speaking, an Intel podcast produced by Media's Ruby Studio in partnership with Intel. In every episode, we explore how AI innovations are changing
the world and revolutionizing the way we live. Hey, there, I'm grame class. Today. In our final episode of season two, we are exploring the role AI platform technology will play in the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris twenty twenty four, both for the athletes and for the fans. To discuss the topic further, we're joined by Alario Korne, the Chief Information Technology Officer at the International Olympic Committee for the IOC.
Alaria has served in his current role since twenty twenty, and he's tasked with leading all IT strategy and operations for the IOC and ensuring the delivery of cutting edge technology solutions for the Olympic Games.
Welcome Malario, Thank you very much, Graham, great to be here.
We're also joined by Sarah Vickers, head of Intel's Olympic and Paralympic Games program. Sarah joined Intel in twenty fifteen and has been working on Intel's partnership with the IOC since twenty seventeen. Welcome to you too, Sarah.
It's great to be here.
I want to start and go back to Tokyo twenty twenty, where a lot of us would remember the one thy eight hundred Intel Premium drones during the opening ceremony before we discuss what to expect in this year's Olympic and Paralympic Games. What's the one technological innovation that sticks out for you over the past few editions of the Olympic Games.
I will say, for me, it is exactly what you say. The drones. I still remember this day. I was actually on the field of play in the Olympic stadiums and seeing them come up with something amazing. Even though during the Olympic Games we always have seen technology innovations and really things new and everybody saw before the last innovation that we had seen in Japan was actually the satellites
and to use broadcasting live feeds. So innovation has been always at the core of the Olympic Games, and anything new, I will say is wait and see and you will be odd for what you will see.
Sarah, I have got you any lasting memories from previous Olympic and Paralympic Games.
I think what I'd say is we're really proud of our progress over time, especially when it comes to artificial intelligent platforms. When we started in twenty seventeen, we really were just demonstrating what was possible, and now we are delivering solutions and we've been doing that through helping demonstrate data. We did a big thing with artificial intelligent platforms in
the Olympic Winter Games Beijing twenty twenty two. So, like Lario said, I think the ceremonies are a closely kept secret, but I'm really excited to see what's going to happen on July twenty six.
And Intel has been a global partner for the Olympic and Paralympic Games since Pyeongchang twenty eighteen, making this summer's edition in Paris to full time. The company has played a role in this biggest event in sport. Why is this partnership so important to Intel?
I think there's a number of reasons, But like you said, the Olympic and Paralympic Games, they're massive and they're incredibly complex to deliver. So I think why we love it is that we're able to demonstrate what we're capable of
on a really global and massive scale. And we've been able to do that through incredible partnerships with people like Allario who really help us demonstrate all the different areas where we can have impact, whether that be using AI platforms through five G and the power of our processing and compute. There's so many different aspects where these solutions play a role broadcast the incredibly complex operations of delivering an event at of scale this size and enhancing the
fan experience. We have the opportunity to deliver this at the Olympic Games, and then we have the opportunity to go scale that then these solutions in other areas.
And you mentioned the magic word AI, and I'm really interested in how AI is going to be a factor in the Olympic and Paralympic Games. In April, the IOC unveiled its plans for using AI during Paris twenty twenty four, and the IOC officials said that the AI will help identify promising athletes, personalized training methods, and make the Olympic and Paralympic Games fairer by improving judging, amongst a lot
of things. Alario, just how much of a role will AI play in the Olympics compared to previous editions, and again, which ones are you most excited about?
This is a fantastic question. So we were asked by our president Thomas Bach to come up with what was the impact of AI forty Olympic movement FORTIOC forty Olympic Games, and it became very clear, very quickly that it was a very large tusk and we needed to kind of
gather opinions and other inputs from other people. We have done a fantastic work in Senegal with Intel trying to understand the impact of athletes identifications and how they can be found in remote locations and remote locations does not
just imply being in Senegal or any other countries. And we tested over a thousand promising athletes and we found forty there were top athletes and regarding for these Olympic Games, what we worked on with Intel is digital twinning and digital twining really help the organizations and the IOC understand better how we can plan better given from an a venue out the flow of people would be done from a broadcasting standpoint, which are the best camera angles to
use everything, and really this revolutionizes how a large sporting event can be done without traveling, without meeting on personal and doing all these virtually. The other one that we are working as well there it is cyber abuse is a very big topic for US safe sports and it is a very very interesting as well. And there is a area of outer use cases that you will see and many of them we have done in partnership with Intel and through all of their solutions.
And So what excites you about these AI innovations, in particular the way Intel providing their support.
I think there's so many and we're just seeing things move so fast and there's so many different applications. One of the examples I really love is the work we're doing to use Intel's AI platforms to create AI generated highlights. So we're working with Olympic broadcasting services to create highlights that otherwise just wouldn't have been possible. It's enhancing the
broadcast experience. So it's not just an efficiency opportunity, it's opportunity to create new opportunities for that fan at home to really experience the Olympic Games.
So would an example be, you know, you might be interested in volleyball and you're just interested in the particular highlights from the French team. You know, potentially that's how an AI could.
Be used exactly. Or you really like archery and typically that wouldn't be the focus where the broadcasters could spend their time, but now it's much easier to create that, so you can really see all the best shots, so to speak.
Yeah, and I just want to turn a little bit now to the athletes experience and how the AI movement affects the way that they train and compete. There was a quote from the US Olympic gold medalist skier lindzy Vonn said recently that AI won't replace athletes or coaches, but it'll supercharge analytical methods for athletes and can be used as a positive way to perform better. Alari, can you give us an example of how AI is currently being used by athletes?
Definitely, and a great example could be the use of AI in biomechanics and athletes in discipline such a gymnastic and diving and using a to analyze their movements. This is opening today and it is really impressive what it can be done. And actually one other one that we are starting to work on it is how AI can actually predict injuries for an athlete, and there is actually methodologies that actually you can understand that an athlete is going to get an injury on the scaf or wherever
it will be. So thesis really does not an anst their ability to perform, but actually makes themselves safer and actually prolong their careers, which will be great.
And so what have you seen in terms of the feedback or the attitude towards AI from coaches and athletes.
Athletes and coaches love data, and they love actionable data, and if they can get data in real time to help them change and adjust, they love that. So I think there's a lot of open mind as to it and excitement around it to really use this technology to help them and figure out what's that one thing that can help them get ahead.
Is it an example you could give that could solidify in our listeners' minds about a practical story around using AI that could just basically help us paint a picture of what actually they'd be using.
There's lots of different examples, but if you think about training, it's a lot of repetitive tasks, and if you can use computer vision using AI platforms, you can start to analyze, like Alario mentioned before, using biomechanical information, and you can understand how that movement is changing over time or adjusting over time. So it enables the athletes to make tweaks. And we've seen this through throwing, through speed skating, and other sports where athletes have been able to use that data,
understand what they're doing different and make tweaks. The other really interesting thing about what this can do is it can help identify things that you weren't really thinking about before because the algorithms are learning and pulling out new information and can really say, you know, it's not a that's really impacting the distance of the throw as an example, it's really B and sometimes with the naked eye that
hasn't been possible. But through AI platforms, this is starting to be something we're seeing that's quite interesting.
And if you could just sort of maybe describe a little bit about the technology that's used to help identify some of the Olympic hopefuls so that they can actually make it and help them make it to the big stage.
Sure, we have developed this technology through something called three D Athlete Tracking or three DOT. This enables computer vision data to be captured using AI platforms and it takes that real time data and provides three D sports biomechanics reporting. We use a variety of our Intel AI platform stack to enable this, including hardware and software solutions. So we're using Intel Xeon and Core processors. They're using open Vino, which is our open source technology to help do that.
All being driven for efficiency using Intel Goudy AI accelerators. So it's really demonstrating all the goodness that Intel can help through every step of an AI solution.
And Lario, have you heard of any specific examples of where the athletes are really excited about this in terms of for their training and competition.
They are definitely excited. If our listener want to go on YouTube and we look at the Olympic Agenda launch, you can actually see some of the athletes that were part of our Olympic AI working group and James Ayckel and Alistair Brownby make real examples of how they've been using it and learning from it, which has been fantastic. A truly belief that what we have done it is a great things that actually can transform to world of sports.
And if you think about our motto, which is make the world better true sports, we will be really embodying this with Intel as our partner as well.
And Sarah, I'd like your thoughts around the use of Intel technology and AI technology in general. You know, my belief is that these sorts of technologies will become cheaper and more widespread for larger numbers of nations. I would like your thoughts on that trend.
You're absolutely right. I think this technology enable to access around the world. It sounds super complex and in the back end and the algorithms, of course they are, but the ability to reach far and wide are not that complex. It's done through very simple measures like a mobile phone to capture that data, and so that can be really done really easily and really not at a really cost prohibitive place. And the more you do something, you get
the benefits of scale. So I'm really hopeful that we are going to help athletes around the world and children around the world discover sport, enjoy sport, find something they're passionate about. I think there's a real ability to connect to people through sport that we have an opportunity to help influence.
Coming out next on Technically Speaking and Intel podcast.
People want answers and they want to understand things, and having AI enable that can really help people know more about the intricacies of the sport. I think it's going to be really interesting to watch this evolve over time.
We'll be right back after a brief message from our partners at Intel, Welcome back to Technically Speaking, an Intel Podcast. I'm here now with Lario Corner, the Chief Information Technology Officer at the International Olympic Committee, and Sarah Vickers head of Intel's Olympic and Paralympic Games program. I want to swing this around to the fan experience, particularly for those who are lucky enough to attend the Olympic and Paralympic
Games in twenty twenty four. Lario, what do you think is the most compelling way technology will change the way viewers experience these events in person?
We are going to deploy with Intel a chadbot for fans. We have augmented broadcasting data with analytics that we will be having their We will have an AI lab for them to experience, which is an Intel AI lab, which would be fantastic. I had the luck to experience unt Olympic I Agenda Launch is even better for Paris twenty four. There would be a new platform that was co developed with Intel for a fun experience which would be amazing. And the automatic highlights that Sarah mentioned before.
We've talked a little bit about the digital tweeting at the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris in twenty twenty four. Can you just explain a little bit about how Intel's involved in the technology that's being used to pile this.
Sure, Intel's working very closely with the Organizing Committee and the broadcasters on delivering a digital twin solution. This is powered by Intel zon processors, so it takes a lot of compute. There's a lot of images and video and content, and it really needs the power of Intel to be able to be efficient and work for all the parties. What it does is you can do scenario planning, right, so you can say, if we are getting too much volume through this entryway, could we open another door and
what would that do to flow? How do we optimize and direct people so we're not getting too many people entering at the right time. So it's really helping them be smarter about what they're planning. I think in the future you'll see some more real time application of that, so real time data to help you make those decisions. I think it helps both from a safety perspective, but it also helps with a fan experience, right. No one
wants to wait in line. They want to be at the field seeing the action, and if we can help with that through really smart planning through Digital twenty, it's a win win.
Okay. Just turning towards now the person viewing from home. First of all, Lario, what are some of the things that the viewers at home should look out for that will really enhance the experience watching the Olympic Games.
That's a great question, and I think the good and thread of these discussions is these data and really processing all of the information that we get gathered from all of the athletes that we actually have on the field of play, will be able to provide more data and analytics to actually experience better these Olympic Games. And the ability to have more content available readily for all of our people, for all of our fans, it will be fantastic.
So this is really what we're trying to do. It is this immediacy that will be provided to these fans. In addition these actually for the people that will be in Paris, there will be a lot more experiences that will be able to do in the field of play and stuff like that. There is actually one thing that I will remind you it is Paris twenty twenty four will be a centenniary because the last Olympic Games that
were held there. If we're in nineteen twenty four in Paris as well, and that we have video footage of that, and it will be interesting how we can integrate into the experience show that the people will see at them.
You can have a visual virtual runner from nineteen twenty four running next to the current athlete.
Or a comparison to see how athletes have changed.
Yeah, that's right, and you have a bit of a history in broadcasting, maybe you could just talk a little bit about how these analytics can actually help the journalists, the sports broadcasters actually help deliver that new experience, that new use of data to enhance the broadcast itself.
If you think about all the events, all the sports that are present in the Olympic Games in pairs, it will be the largest one that we had so far. And one of the questions I have and I experienced, these commentator have a lot to prepare on and these
all of these research gets done ahead of time. So one thing that we are trying to understand it is how can we create systems that actually will prepare all the informations that actually will understand how the heat in the hurdles four hundred meters works so that there is a lot less preparations. How can we provide clips from fill the place that are up somewhere else so that they can actually introduce it and make more colorful all
of these sessions for all the people at home. I think that that's one thing that we are working on and focusing on to really you know, make this a much more you know, immersive experience.
Interesting said that, because in the software world it's all about COI pilots. Now AI co pilots, it'd be interesting to have a journalist COI pilot that is right, that they can ask any sort of question or bring up any highlights.
Great point, and this is why we are trying to understand. You know, if you talk about having the Olympic GPT and our private LM, this is something that we are really starting very quickly because it's you know l ELM out there together data from anywhere, and if they get used, we might have wrong information being broadcasted. So we are really taking this very seriously to make sure that the information that commentator gathers comes from a trust source, and that trust or source should be DIOC.
Sarah, do you have any thoughts on what Alaria just said in terms of Olympic Games GPD type approach.
I mean, I think it's what people are getting used to, right, They're used to instant answers and answers that really can help them, And I think if we can help broadcasters with the right information, it's going to make their jobs easier. They're going to tell more interesting and relevant stories. And it can be happening in real time, so if new information is coming in, it can be added in. It doesn't need to wait until that cycles through. So I
think it's really exciting. And I think from a fan experience perspective at home, Alero hit the nail on the head. There's so much data. What do you do with that data that makes that experience more relevant? People want answers and they want to understand things, and having that AI enable that can really help people know more about the sport, know more about the intricacies of the sport. I think it's going to be really interesting to watch this evolve over time.
For me personally, I like to know the athlete story of how they maybe got discovered and it built up and they made it into the final of the one hundred meter sprint.
Yeah, it's the beauty of the Olympic and Paralympic Games and what it does. It's a real personal experience for the fan at home because they connect to those stories and really root for those athletes. And if we can help that and make that connection even tighter, it's an amazing thing.
I'm really keen to see how technology can improve accessibility universally and make it easier for everyone to enjoy Paris twenty twenty four, both at home and in person. Sarah, perhaps you could talk a little bit about some of the technology around that to help the accessibility part of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Sure, I can give some examples of what we're doing, but I can also give examples of where I think it's going, because I think this is a real opportunity to help improve the fan experience and we're at the tip of the iceberg. I think if you think about accessibility in general, digital twining is another great example of how that can help with ensuring that there's no barriers
movement is done having that information in advance. We've heard from our partners at the Paralympic Committee how that's helped make things more efficient for people moving around. Another example of what we're doing is we're actually using AI platforms to help scan areas ahead of time and then have a visually impaired person be guided through without having a guide with them. But using technology speaking to them and helping them understand where the restroom is, where they need
to turn, etc. So they become more independent. We would like to see that evolve where it's everywhere and it's not just in a test environment, which is what we're essentially doing for Paris. But we do see this evolving over time. Another really cool example of what we've seen is with hearing a paired and real time translation of ASL, so someone who uses ASL and someone can have a conversation with them using technology to make it really seamless.
That's something that we've seen being done, and I think from an event experience perspective, could just change things altogether because you could make that across every event everywhere in the world.
Final thoughts, What do you think is the future of AI, not just for the Olympics and Paralympic Games, but in sport in general in twelve, fifteen, eighteen years time.
It's a great question, and I think there is two or three topics. One it is personalizations, and I think that we got very far, but I think there is still more that we can do. I'm being very lucky that I worked in a lot of places, but I'm originally Swiss and I still remember looking at the Olympic Games. I want to see the athletes of Switzerland, and unfortunately, as you can understand, or fortunately the broadcasters in cert of the country are very focused on their own athletes.
So I think that AI would be able to actually allow us to do it is actually be more personalized on what actually will be looking. So that's one thing. Secondly is and you mentioned this Grame, I think the data that we'll be able to collect and to understanding even better how performance was done and tell more comprehensive story on performance, which we are doing right now. But I think we can go to the next level really and then I would say the next one is really
on the athletes. It's himself and the performance, the training. I hope will see that we can extend the careers of athletes.
And so putting your future hat on what do you think is going to.
Happen, I mean looking twelve to fifteen years out seems almost impossible. But I think a couple of things that I'd say that I think are going to be core in AI and sport. One is it's still going to be about the athletes and the performance of the athletes, and the human element is going to be there throughout, so you're still going to have these personal connections to
these humans performing and that's not going to change. AI is not going to change that, but AI is going to continue to evolve how we experience that, how we learn about that, and how the athletes train. I think
we're just going to continue to learn. If you think about the experience in broadcast, if you think about understanding social sentiment, so using AI as an example to understand how are people talking about this broadcast and then the ability to change that broadcast to make it better, Right, that's just awesome for the broadcasters, it's awesome for the advertisers,
it's awesome for the fans. So I think you're going to see more and more of those kinds of things as well as enhancing that in stadium in venue experience because it's going to be more accessible, easier to get around, smarter, and AI is just going to have influence in all aspects of that. I think it's just those use cases are still evolving.
Alaria and Sarah, thank you so much for you, Tom.
Thank you very much for for having us.
Thank you, thank you, Tobias Lario and Sarah for their insights and experience for this year's Olympic and Paralympic Games, Paris, twenty twenty four. After talking with Alario and Sarah, the potential of AI combined with the Olympic Games is something I'm really looking forward to experiencing this summer. Being somewhat of a data nerd myself, I'll be on the lookout for all the new insights into athletes stats and achievements.
But more than that, it'll be interesting to see if the technology we discussed today can enhance the personal stories of the athletes that converge from all corners of the world, stories that can inspire us to achieve all that we can be. Good luck to all the athletes at the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Paris, twenty twenty four. Thanks to everyone for listening to the second season of Technically Speaking.
I hope you learned as much as I did during the course of the season about the advancements in AI technology and where we're headed from healthcare to retail, to city planning and so much more. And if you missed any episodes, you can always go back into our archives. All the episodes from season two and season one are available in your feed right now wherever you get your podcasts,
and we'll see you in the future. Technically Speaking was produced by Ruby Studio from iHeartRadio in partnership with Intel and hosted by me Graham class. Our executive producer is Molly Sosher, our EP of Post Production is James Foster, and our Supervising producer is Nikia Swinton. This episode was edited by Sierra Spreen and written by Nick Firshall.