International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach has spoken about the supportive role of artificial intelligence (AI) in sports and how both athletes and spectators can benefit from the advancement in technology.
In a recent interview with China Media Group, Bach emphasized that, like all sectors of society, the sports world must embrace technological progress while maintaining its human-centered approach.
"AI, as you said before, will influence our daily lives. And sport is not living on an island of society. We are in the middle of society. You cannot close the doors for AI in sport. What you have to do, where in sport, we are maybe in a unique position -- it's to ensure the human-centered approach or the way. In sport, it is not about this ultimate ethical question -- whether AI will finally replace the human being, or even govern the human being. In sport, the 100 meters will always have to be run by an athlete, by a human being," he said.
Speaking about the impact of artificial intelligence on sports, Bach highlighted its potential to enhance both athlete performance and the spectator experience. He emphasized that AI should be seen as a supportive tool rather than a replacement for human involvement, helping to refine training programs, improve officiating, and create a more engaging environment for fans.
"Therefore we can concentrate very much, in sport, on the supportive effect of AI. Then the spectators will enjoy, because they will see athletes who are better trained than they can be trained now because the training programs will be much more personalized. They will be in a much better way, able to follow refereeing in judging, in a number of sports. You will have less human error. In the end, with together effects of AI, for the spectator, create a much more immersive experience of following the Olympic Games," he said.
AI is supportive tool to elevate sports, enhance fan experience: IOC president
