Fans at the Olympics in Paris are getting a taste of the future with a new AI-powered talent spotting system that aims to identify potential gold medallists of the future. Developed by Intel, this system uses a series of tests to assess participants’ power, explosiveness, endurance, reaction time, strength, and agility.
One of the participants, Tacto, a seven-year-old from Yokohama, Japan, was identified as a potential sprinter through the tests, much to his delight, although he currently prefers football and tennis. The system also assessed more experienced athletes, Hank and Brock, who were surprised to be told they would excel in rugby and basketball, respectively.
The AI system is not only being used in Paris but also in remote areas like Senegal, where it assessed over 1,000 children on their athletic potential. The system identified 48 children with “huge potential” and one with “exceptional potential,” offering them places in sports programs to further develop their abilities.
While the system has its limitations, especially in technical sports like football or basketball, experts like Prof John Brewer see the benefits of using AI for initial talent identification. The hope is that this portable AI technology can reach areas where traditional assessment methods are not accessible, offering opportunities to aspiring athletes worldwide.
Even with the advancements in technology, it seems that computers still have some room for improvement when it comes to accurately identifying athletic potential.
