The upcoming Paris Olympics will present a notable divergence in the utilization of generative AI for American and European audiences.
While Comcast’s NBCUniversal is enthusiastically embracing
AI for its U.S. broadcast, incorporating features such as the recreation of a
renowned sportscaster’s voice, Warner Bros. Discovery’s sports division in
Europe adopts a more cautious approach, considering the technology still in its
early stages for crucial roles like sports commentary.
Warner Bros. Discovery, which will stream the Games on its
Max and discovery+ streaming platforms across Europe, received demonstrations
from technology companies to translate speech into other languages. However,
these demonstrations have not adequately captured the emotional intensity
associated with heart-racing sports moments, as indicated by Scott Young,
Senior Vice President at Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe.
"In every part of their (demos), it feels like yes,
you've translated the words correctly, but you haven't translated or narrated
the feeling," he said.
For instance, when Italian sprinter Marcell Jacobs stunned
the world by winning gold in the men's 100 metres in Tokyo, Italian
commentators screamed their reactions, showing the genuine moment of
"experts sitting side-by-side, really living out that story," Young
said. "It is very hard to automatically generate that."
NBCUniversal, Google, and Team USA have formed a new
partnership that will bring AI-enhanced experiences to U.S. audiences watching
the Games on NBC or streaming service Peacock.
Enhanced Google Map images of the Olympic venues, powered by
AI, will provide viewers with a comprehensive understanding of Paris. NBC’s
hosts will showcase the capabilities of Google AI search in addressing
inquiries related to the competitions.
NBCUniversal intends to leverage generative AI technology to
create personalized daily summaries of the Olympic events. These summaries will
be narrated by an AI-generated voice that closely resembles the renowned sports
commentator Al Michaels.
It Is estimated that approximately seven million distinct
variations of these daily recaps could be produced throughout the Paris
Olympics.
As the holder of the most extensive Olympics broadcast
rights agreement globally, NBCUniversal secured the rights to air the Games
until 2032 for a substantial sum of $7.65 billion.
The Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS), renowned for its
impartial coverage utilized by media outlets worldwide, is actively exploring
the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to expedite the process of
transforming extensive footage into concise highlights. However, OBS has
previously expressed reservations regarding the potential risks associated with
deepfake technology and the manipulation of reality."
It Is possible that European sports fans will soon
experience a greater presence of AI technology, considering the rapid
advancement of its capabilities.
Young mentioned that the real impact of AI on sports may be
just around the corner, possibly as soon as the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.