Alibaba transforms Olympic broadcasting with cloud and AI services

Alibaba Group Holding’s cloud computing division is bringing changes to the way Olympic content will be transmitted and consumed, marking a significant milestone in the history of sports broadcasting.

On July 25, Alibaba Cloud, in collaboration with Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS), unveiled OBS Cloud 3.0, an innovative AI-enhanced platform designed to serve as the primary method of content distribution for the Paris Games. This is a revolutionary change, marking the end of a piece of history: satellite broadcasting has been a staple of the Olympics since the technology was first launched at the 1964 Tokyo Games.

According to the South China Morning Post, OBS Cloud 3.0 will provide media outlets with unparalleled access to Olympic images and videos. The OBS, the Olympics’ official broadcasting arm run by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), is responsible for coordinating the distribution of coverage, ensuring that billions of people all over the world will be able to watch all the action.

This transition toward cloud-based distribution is a historical first for the Olympic Games. Not surprisingly, Alibaba underscored that “for the first time in the history of the Olympic Games,” a cloud platform would serve as the primary approach to disseminate content. The novelty of this stage is underscored by its timing, which is effectively aligned with the rise of global AI, spearheaded by OpenAI’s ChatGPT since October 2022.

The use of AI technologies for Olympic broadcasts will be more than just a new method of distribution. For example, Alibaba plans to use its own large language models to assist the official commentators during the Games. AI-powered support should help raise the quality of commentary, making it more insightful and in-depth for viewers.

Alibaba is not alone in bringing AI innovations to the Paris Olympics. Other tech giants and startups are also contributing their expertise:

1. Chinese AI startup SenseTime will help China’s men’s national basketball team at the tournament. The company will offer AI data analysis and strategic advice. The basketball team will receive information much quicker, and they hope it will establish a competitive advantage.
2. Intel and the International Olympic Committee have created an AI chatbot to answer professional, logistical, and general questions for the athletes living at the Olympic Village in Paris. The chatbot, AthleteGPT, will enhance the athlete experience by providing needed information quickly and precisely.
3. To highlight its AI products and technology, Google has formed a partnership with NBCUniversal, one of the main broadcasters of the Games. The use of Google’s technology will provide the audience with 3D maps of Olympic venues, and an advanced information retrieval system that will allow viewers to access more information about any specific sport.

One of the coolest things about working on a broadcasting cloud is delivering the first-ever Olympic content in ultra-high definition. Not only will the image quality be unparalleled, but the footage will also be more vivid and visually pleasing. It will make people feel like the athletes are extremely close to them.

The president of international business at Alibaba Cloud Intelligence, Selina Yuan, showed great optimism regarding the joint undertaking with OBS. She noted that it would not only change the viewing experience at the Games, but also illustrate how advanced technology can be made relevant for the global population.

The choice of AI and cloud technology for the Paris Olympics follows a general trend in the sports industry as the digital revolution impacts how events are broadcast, analysed, and experienced, amid the ever-growing interest in sports. With the rapid development of AI, it is entirely possible that in a decade, the Olympic Games will use more advanced versions of the technology that will innovate training, player performance analysis, interaction between clubs and fans, and more. Cloud Computing News