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AI Tackles Sports Judging: Fairer Play Ahead?
13 Feb
Summary
- Jeremy Bloom is developing AI to reduce officiating errors in sports.
- Figure skating controversy highlights need for judging clarity.
- AI is being tested in X Games with plans for wider integration.
A new wave of artificial intelligence, championed by former Olympian Jeremy Bloom, is poised to address officiating errors in sports. Current Winter Olympics judging controversies in figure skating underscore the ongoing need for transparency and accuracy. Bloom's company, Owl AI, is developing technology to offer objective scoring, with initial applications already being integrated into the X Games.
The pursuit of unbiased officiating is driven by instances where athletes feel robbed of victories due to human error. While AI promises greater consistency, some athletes express concern about its potential to diminish the artistic and emotional elements crucial to judged sports. Nevertheless, the technology is being refined to assist human judges.
Owl AI's current strategy involves augmenting human judges with real-time data, such as a trick's amplitude and rotations, rather than replacing them entirely. As sports continue to evolve at a rapid pace, AI may become an indispensable tool for maintaining fairness and relevance in judging standards.
