MADRID, 19 Abr. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) launched this Friday during an event in London (United Kingdom) its Olympic Agenda for artificial intelligence (AI), the third piece of a trilogy of documents launched under the leadership of its president, Thomas Bach.
At the Lee Valley VeloPark in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, home of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Bach led a 90-minute interactive session alongside experts in the fields of technology, business and academia. They discussed the practical application of various AI tools to sport.
This AI Olympic Agenda is Bach’s third pillar in his triptych of strategic documents. It follows Olympic Agenda 2020, launched in December 2014, and Olympic Agenda 2020+5, launched in March 2021. “It sets out the anticipated impact that AI can have for sport and how the IOC, as leader of the Olympic Movement , aims to lead the global implementation of AI in sport,” the IOC itself stated in a press release.
“It sets out the IOC’s ambition and guiding principles, identifies high-impact areas for the application of AI, and explores the framework and governance mechanisms needed to mitigate risk and promote the responsible use of AI. It outlines four commitments that the IOC “IOC has taken the first steps to integrate AI into the Olympic ecosystem and harness the power of AI in its operations, in the Games and throughout the Olympic Movement,” the note added.
In his speech, Bach detailed the purpose of the IOC. “We are taking another step to guarantee the uniqueness of the Olympic Games and the relevance of sport, and to do this we have to be leaders of change, not the object of change. Today, with the increasingly accelerated development of digital technology, and in particular AI, we find ourselves again at a crossroads,” he warned.
“From our Olympic Agenda, we know that you can only be the leader of change if you take a holistic approach. While we have already seen some independent AI initiatives in some specific areas of sport, there has not yet been an overall strategy for AI and the sport. That is why today we present this first holistic approach: our Olympic AI Agenda,” said Bach.
“AT THE CENTER ARE HUMAN BEINGS”
“At the center of the Olympic AI Agenda are human beings; that is, athletes. Because athletes are the heart of the Olympic Movement. Unlike other sectors of society, in sport we do not face the existential question of whether AI will replace human beings. In sport, the performances will always have to be performed by athletes. The 100 meters will always have to be run by an athlete, a human being. Therefore, we can focus on the potential of AI. AI to support athletes,” he added.
“AI can help identify athletes and talent in every corner of the world. AI can give more athletes access to personalized training methods, superior sports equipment and more individualized programs to stay fit and healthy. Beyond sports performance , AI can revolutionize judging and refereeing, thus strengthening fairness in sport AI can improve protection in sport AI will make the organization of sporting events extremely efficient, transform sports broadcasting and make the. viewer experience is much more individualized and immersive,” he highlighted.
“We are determined to harness the vast potential of AI responsibly. Our AI Olympic Agenda establishes a robust governance framework for the implementation of this strategy, which must offer equal access for all and ensure self-determination for any individual,” the IOC president continued.
Finally, Bach stressed in his speech that “in this way the IOC wants to set the course for the future of sport through AI with responsible leadership, embracing change and at the same time preserving Olympic values.”