Prompted: 3 Ways the Olympics Are Incorporating AI

Beginning with the Parade of Nations and not ending until the ceremonial flame is extinguished, thrilling moments of hope, unity, and athleticism are on display at the Olympic Games. This year’s celebration of human achievement in Paris will also integrate a new technological touch: artificial intelligence. From athlete support to fan engagement and upgraded broadcasts, AI will be everywhere during the Summer Games. As we watch the world's greatest athletes compete, we’ll also be keeping an eye out for innovative AI applications  — and taking inspiration for our own AI-powered marketing efforts.

1. AI-Powered Accessibility

Long-time Olympics technology partner Intel is bringing a range of tech to the Games, including heavy-duty processors powering high-def broadcasts and innovations from its Emergent AI Lab that create novel fan experiences. Notably, Intel’s AI tech will be used to increase accessibility for fans attending the events. Intel created 3D models of the Team USA Olympic Performance Center and the International Paralympic Committee headquarters that fans with visual impairments can use in a specially designed smartphone app to assist with navigation and guidance throughout the buildings.

While an AI-generated 3D model might not be needed for your business, AI tools can help make your content more accessible in many ways. Large-language models (LLMs) with the ability to interpret images, such as ChatGPT, can automatically generate accurate, descriptive alt text for images, an important accessibility feature for people using screen readers. AI tools like Otter.ai can also be used to transcribe live and recorded audio to create closed captions for people with hearing impairments.

2. AI vs. Hate Speech

With more than 3 billion viewers tuning into the Games, Olympic athletes perform under a massive global spotlight. But with that audience comes downsides, including barrages of criticism directed at them on social media. To protect athletes’ safety, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will be using an AI-powered system to monitor thousands of online messages in real time across all major social media platforms to flag any threats or abuse. 

The IOC successfully piloted the AI tool during Olympic Esports Week, using the tech to identify slurs, offensive images, emojis, or phrases that could indicate abuse. Parsing through more than 17,000 public posts, the AI flagged almost 200 potentially abusive messages that were then passed on to a team of human moderators. The approach allowed AI to run the first leg, with the human experts taking the baton to cross the finish line.

This AI-powered content review can be helpful for sentiment analysis, a metric for  many businesses' social strategies. According to a recent survey from Ragan’s PR Daily, 42% of PR professionals list sentiment analysis as an AI-powered feature they’re most interested in using in the future. Consider trying out social monitoring tools like Sprinklr that make it easier to identify negative posts and opinions about your brand.

3. Creating Snackable Content

Staying glued to live TV broadcasts isn’t the only way viewers will be getting their fill of Olympics content this summer. Highlights, recaps, clips, and short snackable content will be just as important as fans seek out the most memorable Olympic moments. AI will assist in identifying the Games’ greatest snapshots in a few ways:

• Intel’s AI will be used to help make production and editing more efficient for broadcasters with auto-generated highlight reels. Olympic Broadcasting Services’ Automatic Highlights Generation will be able to package tailored highlights across sports and deliver them instantly to viewers.
  
  
• NBC is planning an AI integration called “Your Daily Olympic Recap,” which will offer Peacock subscribers personalized, 10-minute highlights packages with event updates, athlete stories, and other content.
  
  
• NBC recaps will be narrated by the AI-generated voice of Al Michaels, renowned announcer for the network.

If you’re struggling to sort through an abundance of content, many AI tools are able to parse through to help you create snackable, customized snippets. Some AI tools can specifically help you break up long-form video or audio into short-form clips, like OpenAI-backed Descript. Legacy video editors like Vimeo are also incorporating AI tech to make it easier to edit pre-shot video. For text-based content like blog posts, ChatGPT and other LLMs can help you repurpose your content into teasers or short social media posts.

Going for the Gold

The integration of AI in the 2024 Olympics could mark a significant milestone in the evolution of sports and entertainment. Even when these applications aren’t noticeable to viewers, AI technologies have the potential to transform the fan experience and set a new standard for big-time events. We’ll certainly be watching — while also taking a page from the Olympics AI playbook to bring back to our own desks.

Prompted, our biweekly blog series, brings you relevant updates and insights on how to strategically add AI-driven solutions into your marketing toolkit. Subscribe to receive updates in your inbox.