AI Revolution Comes to Winter Sports

As athletes prepare for the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics, an unexpected competitor has entered the arena: artificial intelligence. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) unveiled its groundbreaking partnership with Alibaba's Qwen large language model during a press conference at the International Broadcast Center.

"This isn't just about adding tech bells and whistles," explained IOC President Kirsty Coventry. "We're fundamentally reimagining how athletes compete and how fans experience winter sports."

Image | National Olympic Committee AI Assistant

Dual Approach: Serving Athletes and Fans

The Qwen-powered system operates on two parallel tracks:

For Olympic Teams: The "National Olympic Committee AI Assistant" acts as a multilingual concierge for delegation members. Imagine asking about equipment regulations in Finnish or lodging details in Korean - and getting instant, accurate responses.

For Global Audiences: Sports fans worldwide can query the "Olympic AI Assistant" on everything from curling strategies to historical medal counts. The system promises to make niche winter sports more accessible than ever before.

Seeing More Than Ever Before

The visual presentation of these Games will showcase cutting-edge AI applications:

• Qwen-VL automatically generates commentary-ready highlights of key moments like ski jumps or hockey goals
• Cloud-based tools create promotional materials faster than human teams could manage
• Advanced 3D reconstruction solves longstanding challenges in capturing fast-paced winter sports

The technology spans all major venues, ensuring viewers won't miss dramatic moments whether they're watching downhill skiing or figure skating.

Sustainability Meets Smart Technology

The geographically dispersed Milan Games posed unique logistical challenges that AI helps solve:

• Energy monitoring systems track consumption across Alpine venues The "Energy Saving Treasure" initiative uses predictive algorithms to reduce waste The transportation network benefits from real-time optimization

"Previous Olympics left physical legacies," Coventry noted. "Milan's legacy will be digital - an intelligent framework future host cities can build upon."

The marriage of elite athletics and artificial intelligence raises intriguing questions about sports' future while promising immediate benefits for participants and spectators alike.