The Olympic Games are a must see for every communication professional this year

By: Stella Jansen, Managing Director, Progress Communications

As a PR professional in the technology industry I have been infected with the tech virus for many years. It is my professional deformation to look at almost everything through the eyes of PR, marketing and… tech. It means that the Paris Olympic Games are not just a showcase for athletes and their capabilities, skills and stamina for me. And I love it that this year, the Olympic Games are set to become a revolutionary testing ground for AI in sports broadcasting. I just can’t wait for it to start. And I think that every Communication and PR specialists should tune in not only for a beautiful opening ceremony or to enjoy the competitions, but to witness firsthand how technologies will redefine how audiences experience live events. I think that the Olympic Games should be on your professional radar and that we can all learn a lot from this technological leap.

Personally I look forward to the set up with the athletes as AI model. Imagine this: top athletes appearing as lifelike holograms in studios worldwide, giving interviews as if they were physically present. With portable studios equipped with 30 cameras, athletes in Paris are filmed and transformed into 3D models using advanced AI. These models can then be beamed into any studio globally and create an immersive, interactive broadcasts. And imagine how this will eventually drip down to (corporate) events and concerts. Intel Innovation, Dreamforce, Microsoft Ignite, and Taylor Swift… they will never be the same again. The potential of holographic technology in enhancing brand experiences and live events will amaze us all in the next decade.

During the Olympic Games AI will be analyzing a staggering 11,000 hours of footage to create tailored highlights. And OBS – the Olympic Broadcasting Services – will provide our national broadcast with more curated content focusing on the Dutch athletes, thanks to AI’s ability to recognize and prioritize the most relevant moments with our athletes involved. I just love that. I love this kind of personalization (and hopefully our national broadcast will use it!). But also imagine how much easier and how much more personalized video compilations of events are going to be in the future. Mass content will be transformed into personalized experiences with more relevance and eventually more engagement for the audience.

AI is also being applied to fairness in sports by enabling accurate judging and scoring. Advanced imaging techniques allow AI systems to perform real-time analyses of athletes’ performances, which is particularly useful in sports like gymnastics and diving, where it’s challenging to assess performances with the naked eye. AI can precisely compare athletes’ movements against predefined criteria, resulting in more consistent and objective scores. This reduces errors due to human bias and inconsistency, enhancing the overall fairness and accuracy of the judging process. I can imagine that in the future AI is being applied in popular talent shows across the world. From identifying promising participants to offering personalized coaching methods and improving stage equipment and performance programs. And imagine an AI computer sitting next to Simon Cowell at America’s Got Talent for a bit more fairness in competitions with its accurate judging and scoring.

The IOC is also using AI to improve the logistics of the Games, such as signage and accessibility for people with visual impairments. For example, 3D models of the facilities in Paris have been created. These models are being used in conjunction with AI and computer vision to enable indoor and voice navigation via smartphone applications. This enables visually impaired users to receive accurate directions and information about their surroundings, improving their mobility and independence. I can only hope that in the near future government buildings, transport companies, event locations but also municipalities will be able to use digital twinning for this kind of optimization of our lives and that communication professionals will take a lead in this change for good.

I think that this year, the Paris Olympic Games are more than just a global sporting event; they are a glimpse into the future of technology in broadcasting and communication. For PR and communication professionals, this is a great opportunity to see innovation in action and gather insights that could shape the future of our business.