Technology is poised to take the tallest podium at this year’s Olympics. The Paris 2024 games will be the first streaming-first Olympics and AI will be used everywhere.
Streaming Forward
The 2024 Olympics is being dubbed as a streaming-first Olympics. In previous years, NBC spread Olympics coverage across its network properties: USA, Telemundo, E!, and others. NBC will still show live and recorded coverage across its network properties; however, Peacock will get most of the shine this Olympics.
NBC plans to live stream hours of content on Peacock with the idea you won’t miss any event. Furthermore, NBC will use AI to string together highlights for events you’re interested in based on your viewing behavior.
And for the piece de resistance, an AI-trained Al Michaels voice will narrate your personalized highlights.
Digital Twins Make Their Olympics Debut
The IOC and Intel have created digital twins, a digitized operational model, of all Olympic venues. Intel claims they’ll use these digital twins to understand if venues need personnel, supplies like food, or power. Based upon real world attendance and utilization at a venue, digital twin predictive modeling will help Olympics staff direct proper resources.
3D Modeling
Another gimmick, yeah, I said it, is the use of 3D modeling across 21 sports this year. IOC and Alibaba are using AI-enabled 3D compositing technology to up the replay game this year.
Alibaba is installing multiple cameras at venues to capture an event live, then transmitting the footage to a purposed cloud for rendering a complete representation of a scene. The idea is this rendering can produce true-to-life views of a sporting event from angles beyond what the cameras capture. It’s almost as if you can watch a Madden-styled replay from real-life sporting.
We’ll see how that comes out.
What’s on Tap for Opening Ceremonies?
Every Olympic ceremony is a chance for a country to showcase their very best spectacle on a world stage. The creme de la creme is still China’s 2008 Olympics featuring a terrific blend of high tech and people power.
Samsung will be outfitting each country’s boat with a Galaxy S24 Ultra to show them sailing up the Seine. European carrier, Orange, is blanketing Paris in full 5G so no moment is dropped because latency.
That’s what we know right now. Most countries keep their opening ceremony program secret so the world can enjoy the spectacle.
This year’s Olympics have been fraught with controversy and protest reflecting a world that’s at its most peaceful yet most contentious. I’m hoping the magic of the Games will show the world that for 2 weeks we can be opponents while being civil and good sports about it.
Enjoy the XXXIII Olympiad!