Paris 2024 catapults Chinese tech to global fame

Classy broadcasts, cloud, AI, training tools ... all herald next wave of digital wizardry

Paris 2024 will be remembered as much for sportspersons' medal-winning performances, memorable ceremonies, amazing venues and breathtaking logistics as for Chinese technology companies' contributions that, experts said, enhanced the quadrennial event like never before, impressing all stakeholders — participants, organizers, coaches, officials, spectators, TV and online audiences, media, advertisers and sponsors.

Chinese firms applied cloud computing and artificial intelligence innovatively in fields ranging from immersive live broadcast experiences to athletes' training, which improved the latter's performances, and can potentially transform future sporting events.

Experts further said the robust participation of Chinese companies in the prestigious sporting event demonstrates their growing technological prowess and independent innovation capabilities. This will help improve their international recognition and influence while boosting their global competitiveness.

More than two-thirds of live broadcast signals have been disseminated by Chinese tech heavyweight Alibaba Group's cloud broadcasting services during the Paris Games — a milestone in Olympic broadcast history.

The cloud computing platform has succeeded satellite broadcasting, which was launched during the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo for the first time, and has become the main method of remote distribution to broadcasters.

Alibaba Cloud, the cloud computing arm of Alibaba, which is a worldwide partner of the Paris Olympics, and Olympic Broadcasting Services have jointly launched OBS Cloud 3.0 to help media outlets get images and videos of the Games. OBS, a subsidiary of the International Olympic Committee or IOC, oversees the distribution of event coverage.

A record-breaking 11,000 hours of Olympics footage has been distributed to more than 200 countries and regions with the help of Alibaba Cloud's global cloud infrastructure, reaching billions of viewers worldwide.

The cloud-based technology is a game-changer for global media. Prior to this technological breakthrough, broadcasters had to rely on dedicated and more expensive international telecommunication optical circuits and spend a considerable amount of time to set up the equipment, in order to send live footage halfway across the globe back to their home countries.

In September 2018, Alibaba Cloud launched OBS Cloud in conjunction with OBS, and supported the broadcasts of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.

The company also provided AI-enabled multicamera replay systems at the Paris Games to elevate viewing experience. These systems have been deployed across 14 venues covering 21 sports and disciplines, such as badminton, track and field, basketball, beach volleyball and table tennis.

The systems provided frame-freeze slow-motion replays of athletes' performances, giving global viewers a more immersive experience by transforming live footage into precise 3D models, and allowing sports fans to access detailed information for deeper analysis of such performances.

Paris 2024 is the first Summer Olympics to see the extensive use of AI technology. The IOC has described AI as a game-changer, and launched the Olympic AI Agenda in April, setting out the envisioned impact that AI can deliver for sport.

Thomas Bach, the IOC president, highlighted the key areas where AI has been utilized at this year's Olympics. These include safeguarding against cyber abuse, creating video highlights in multiple formats and languages, and implementing a sophisticated data capture and energy management system to enhance sustainability.

Chinese tech giant Baidu Inc offered an AI-powered auxiliary training system, which is based on its ChatGPT-like product and large language model Ernie Bot, for China's national diving team, helping the latter achieve good results.

"The AI system allows timely playback and scoring," said Quan Hongchan, who triumphed in the women's 10-meter platform diving event, adding the diving auxiliary training system can be used to refine a diver's movements during daily training, providing her with additional coaching support.

The diving training system can understand complex instructions from coaches, record athletes' diving posture and actions, and score their real-time movements, in order to provide precise quantitative assessment and scientific guidance for training and competition, said Wang Haifeng, chief technology officer of Baidu.

Baidu explained that the AI system starts collecting and recording information from the moment the athletes step on the diving board and stops recording after they enter the water surface.

High-speed video can be fed back to the coaches' tablets in real time, and the system can analyze diving actions on the 3D space through 3D modeling technology, which supports 360-degree free rotation for viewing, making training more scientific and effective.

Wang Peng, a researcher at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, said, "The application of China's state-of-the-art digital tech at the Paris Games has improved the viewing experience for sports enthusiasts around the world, and showcased Chinese companies' leading position in tech frontiers and their strengths in technological innovation."

By participating in and providing technical support for the world's largest multisport event, Chinese tech companies have enhanced their brand awareness and influence in the international market, Wang said.

Their participation will let more overseas audiences learn about the country's rapid progress in cloud computing and AI technologies, as well as bolster the digital transformation and upgrading of international sports events, he said.

Data from market consultancy Mordor Intelligence showed that revenue from AI application in sports industry worldwide will grow from $5.93 billion in 2024 to $20.94 billion in 2029, with a compound annual growth rate of 28.69 percent.

The consultancy said AI is used to analyze data and engage fans, while real-time insights generated through data analysis during match time help teams make changes to their strategies.

Shen Yang, a professor from Tsinghua University's School of Journalism and Communication, said AI technology can play an auxiliary role in athletes' daily training, psychological assessment and event simulation by offering more precise and intelligent services, thus further improving athletes' performances.