Intel is infusing AI into the Paris Olympic games, and it might change how you and the athletes experience them
Intel, a leader in AI technology, is set to revolutionize the Paris Olympic Games by integrating artificial intelligence into various aspects of the event. The incorporation of AI opens up new possibilities for both athletes and spectators, transforming their experiences in ways never seen before.
One key area where Intel is leveraging AI is through the use of their Gaudi 2 generative AI platform to power an Olympic chatbot. This chatbot will be integrated into the existing Athlete 365 application used by more than 10,000 athletes. Its purpose is to assist athletes in navigating through the Olympic Village and the complexities of the games. The chatbot will alleviate the stress often faced by athletes by providing them with essential information and answering their queries in a conversational manner. It may even address concerns such as the permissibility of taking certain medications before events or provide transportation schedules to various sports venues. While the chatbot's multilingual capabilities are yet to be confirmed, there is a possibility that it may showcase its abilities to the wider public.
Additionally, Intel's AI technology plays a crucial role in creating and presenting event highlights. Traditionally, creating highlight reels was a labor-intensive task limited by the number of personnel available. By utilizing AI for auto-tagging and real-time highlight creation, Intel enables comprehensive coverage, even for lesser-known sports and athletes from smaller countries whose events may not receive extensive broadcast or production attention. The flexibility offered by AI algorithms simplifies the process, allowing for efficient selection of desired sports and countries, resulting in tailored and accessible highlight packages.
In terms of AI at the stadiums themselves, Intel has collaborated with Samsung to offer an AI-powered talent identification system at the Stade de France, France's largest sports stadium and the host venue for the Olympics. By using Samsung devices equipped with computer vision technology, participants perform sports-related exercises that are captured and analyzed by Intel's cloud-based AI. The system then identifies the Olympic sport for which each individual shows the most potential. This AI-driven initiative was previously piloted in Senegal and proved successful in skill identification for potential athletes representing the country in the 2026 Youth Olympic Games.
AI's influence extends even to navigation and space analysis within the Olympic Village. Originally designed to aid the vision impaired, an AI wayfinding system will be employed to assist all individuals in finding their way around the complex. By using AI to analyze data related to space utilization in the media lounge and village, organizers can make informed decisions to improve various aspects, such as managing food and beverage services and optimizing transportation queues. The valuable insights drawn from this data are also valuable for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) when planning for future events.
It is essential to note that most of Intel's AI integrations occur in the cloud, typically running on Intel Xeon processors with support from Intel's Geti applications. While some AI functions may run locally on devices like Samsung tablets and smartphones, this is not the case for the current Olympic Games.
Though AI has profoundly impacted various aspects of the Paris Olympic Games, Intel has consciously chosen to refrain from employing AI directly during the opening ceremonies, opting to focus on the human elements of the event. Auspiciously, Intel has contributed significantly to the advancement of AI technology and its implementations in the Olympic Games, enhancing both efficiency and participant experiences, while still preserving the iconic grandeur of the opening ceremonies—the perfect blend of humanity, emotion, and technological marvel.
