Synechron CEO: AI in the Running for Gold at the Olympics
As the Paris 2024 Olympic Games comes to an end, we have witnessed some fantastic moments in the world of sports. From impressive dives, to incredible sprint races that were often too close to call, this Olympics has been a powerful demonstration of how technology can add tremendous value to both the viewing and athletic experience.
However, the devil is in the details, with CEO of Synechron Faisal Husain suggesting that athletes and their teams will hugely benefit from leveraging data. He explains how this data can help differentiate, strategies and predict outcomes for athletes.
“Famously called ‘the new gold’, this data – when combined with the power of AI to transform it into actionable insights – can also help athletes get the gold,” Faisal notes. “The Olympic stage, already home to the world’s best athletes, now stands poised to leverage the full power of AI.”
With Faisal’s insights, we examine some of the powerful ways AI can be leveraged within the sports industry and the Olympics in particular.
The future is wearable technology
Wearable technology has become increasingly common within the sporting world and even outside of it, with companies like Apple and Fitbit having transformed fitness insights. Smart fabrics are a newer development within this - a textile that contains electronic components to monitor the athlete’s performance.
This blend of sensors, AI technology and fabric stand to provide invaluable insights for athletes to improve their performance. It is a market that is projected to reach US$5.55bn by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 30.4%.
“These uniforms, equipped with sensors, can track movements and provide data to improve training and performance,” Faisal says. “In Paris, we have seen widespread use of this technology, with teams from all over the world leveraging these textiles to gather biometric data, providing team doctors, physicians and therapists with real-time feedback.”
This data allows athletes to make precise adjustments and optimisations to their performance. Faisal explains that this could both boost opportunities and reduce risk of injury.
“Innovations like smart insoles and integrated sensors, coupled with AI-led data analysis of heart rate and lung capacity, enable the creation of tailored training and recovery plans,” he notes.
Health is wealth: Supporting athlete wellbeing
AI can also be used to boost the health and wellbeing of athletes by suggesting personalised nutrition plans by utilising smart fabric data with other information from the athlete.
Faisal explains how this approach is comprehensive and allows athletes to make precise adjustments to their nutrition based on their individual requirements.
“Through the analysis of physical exertion, recovery rates and metabolic responses, AI-powered applications can recommend nutrient timing, portion sizes, and specific dietary components,” he says. “Additionally, since this analysis is done in real-time, athletes can ensure they get the right nutrients at the right time – therefore maximising their potential and minimising the risk of injury.”
In addition to physical health, AI can also help athletes with their mental wellbeing. This is particularly poignant, given the raised global awareness over the importance of mental health in the sporting world.
“This is something the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has vowed to invest in,” Faisal notes. “Several initiatives now support athletes’ mental wellbeing. These include mental decompression zones equipped with virtual reality (VR) headsets for optimal relaxation.
“On the AI front, the Olympic Games will leverage the technology to reduce social media abuse. With its quick-acting capabilities, AI can filter out bullying and trolling comments, offering athletes a safer online environment.”
It is possible for all 15,000 athletes across the Olympics and Paralympics to gain access to this service, with AI helping them to focus on their performance without any added stress.
Boosting the Olympic experience for all
Overall, fan experience has been touted as one of the most significant areas of the Olympics that can be bolstered globally by the power of AI. From offering real-time updates, to suggesting content personalised to the viewer, AI technology stands to help fans become more connected to the overall Olympic experience, as Faisal explains.
“With the vast array of events, a lot of people don’t know how to split their watch time – but AI has the potential to deliver customised schedules based on individual interests, ensuring fans catch their favourite competitions,” he says. “AI has the capabilities to indicate the best time to move between stadiums to optimise each person’s customised viewing schedule. Such an approach would create a seamless experience – while also enhancing the overall atmosphere by delivering interactive content and real-time statistics.”
Whilst some of these AI applications are already being used in the Olympic Games, there are plenty more opportunities for the technology to be harnessed in the future.
“The International Olympic Committee’s commitment to democratising AI benefits ensures that athletes, International Federations (IFs), National Olympic Committees (NOCs), and other members have access to these advanced tools,” Faisal notes. “Integrating AI with existing systems is critical to achieving tangible results. Athletes, spectators, and organisations all stand to gain from the enhanced precision, personalised experiences, and additional features that AI offers.
“If The Olympics embrace technological advancements, they will set new standards for the future of sports.”
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