Technology to help sports thrive
Using the keyword "AI" through the Google search engine on the Internet, viewers will receive hundreds of thousands of results. If you limit your search for AI to a specific field, especially sports, the source information about technology development is extremely rich. For example, the technology company Intel (USA) is one of the pioneers in creating data software that integrates artificial intelligence to assess athletes' physical thresholds. Details were shared in June 2024. Under the supervision of sports experts (former Olympic athletes competing in the triathlon group), Intel recorded the training programs of British athletes in this sport including: Connor Bentley, Jack Willis, Jessica Fullagar to build data and based on the algorithm in the software, use AI to assess the most suitable physical threshold.
The 2024 Paris Olympics (France) is the first Olympics of the new era in which many national sports teams use AI technology for professional analysis. Specifically, countries use data analysis software to optimize their professional preparation against their opponents. “We were present at the 2024 Paris Olympics (France) and saw the amazing changes in many sports. The change here is that coaches and coaching staff no longer hold notebooks in their hands as usual, but instead use tablets or electronic devices equipped with data analysis software. That is a secret of sports teams that no one reveals, but from the outside perspective, it is clear that technology is a part of the game, inseparable in sports at this time,” said Mr. Hoang Quoc Vinh, Head of High Performance Sports Department 1 (Department of Physical Education and Sports).
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is a pioneer in the use of artificial intelligence in its sporting activities. “The IOC has already used AI in various areas at the 2024 Paris Olympics. It is very important that the IOC protects the Games from online abuse and negative social media posts.
AI is used to create highlight videos in multiple formats and languages at the Paris 2024 Olympics. The IOC is using AI to make the Olympic Games more sustainable. The assessment bases are derived from sophisticated data collection and management by AI. AI is opening up new ways to identify sports talent. The project will continue to be deployed globally by the IOC in 2025 to fulfill its commitment to making AI in sport accessible to everyone,” said IOC President Thomas Bach.
Technology for human perfection
Technology was born to serve people. In all matters, athletes are the focus. Therefore, software is built from that goal. IOC's head of technology - Mr. Ilario Corna shared that, to apply AI at the 2024 Paris Olympics (France), the plan was implemented 4 years ago. A team of more than 2,000 IT experts from 15 technology companies worked together with the IOC's official technology representative to fully complete the data serving the tournament and focus on improving athlete satisfaction.
In fact, artificial intelligence is used to make sports assessments that create the best satisfaction for practitioners and competitors. Sportswear manufacturer Adidas pioneered the installation of electronic chips in the official match ball for the EURO 2024 finals. During the tournament, based on the player's ball touch force combined with images from the camera, the referee carefully checked the situations from VAR (video review) to judge whether it was a foul situation or not. The data technology in the ball's electronic chip transmitted to the artificial intelligence analysis software determined the exact indexes down to each heart beat of the player when touching the ball in a sensitive situation.
Many Vietnamese sports experts affirm that AI technology is helping sports players achieve the best results. For example, golf. Many AI-supported golf clubs have positioning sensors in golf clubs and based on the data collected from the player, the instructor or coach can adjust the club's swing weight, optimizing it for the golfer. Or in running shoes, AI is equipped with improvements to help analyze data to capture and adjust the cushioning level based on the runner's fatigue level. Indexes from motion tracking and heart rate index are very important data in athletics. Technology helps shoe manufacturers optimally support athletes. Bicycles are also popularly using AI technology when the GPS (positioning) device integrated with artificial intelligence mounted on the vehicle is a tool to calculate traffic data to find a safe route, ensuring the athlete's route.
Vietnam and AI trends
Vietnamese sports are looking for ways to apply AI to professional training for national sports teams. “Many countries in Asia and Southeast Asia have applied science and technology, including artificial intelligence software, to training and competition. There is no shortage of software that creates virtual assistants to help coaches and athletes fully analyze the physical, technical, and tactical parameters of athletes. Therefore, applying this science is necessary and a prerequisite for Vietnamese sports,” said Mr. Hoang Quoc Vinh.
However, sports have their own characteristics. For professionals, a database to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of each sports team and each individual athlete is necessary, but it does not exclude the possibility that the data will be popularized. From there, confidentiality will no longer exist. If the athlete's index appears in the software, they will be easily detected. Applying digitalization and collecting data to serve professional training and competition is necessary, but data security is also very urgent. The AI trend is an inevitable trend in the general movement. AI needs input data to operate successfully. Vietnamese sports aim for modern development but will be cautious in using it for the right purpose and right needs to achieve appropriate results.
(Posted on the special edition of Labor Weekend Spring At Ty)
