NBC Says Paris Olympics Coverage to Use AI
Paris Olympics coverage this year is getting help from a trending technology- AI. NBC has shared that its planned Olympics coverage will use AI on its "Your Daily Olympic Recap." Are you ready for AI's debut on the biggest stage in sports?
It seems that 2024 is fast-shaping as a banner year for Artificial Intelligence (AI), thanks to the latest announcement from the National Broadcasting Company or NBC that it will integrate the technology into its Paris Olympics coverage. According to reports, the media outfit will incorporate AI into its daily coverage by bringing a version of Al Michaels to the summer games with a twist: an AI software will re-create his voice to deliver daily recaps for the subscribers of the Peacock streaming platform.
Using an AI voice to deliver daily sports recap at the Paris Olympics comes as the technology has grown tremendously, particularly for generative AI. OpenAI, with its ChatPGT and upcoming text-to-video model Sora, is leading the charge in innovation. While technology has raised some questions in the creative industry, it can't be denied that it is changing how people access information. And with NBC's decision to integrate AI into its programming, the technology is going mainstream.
Your Daily Olympic Recap on Peacock
This year's NBC Olympics coverage will feature a new tool called "Your Daily Olympic Recap on Peacock," which boasts 10-minute highlights and key takeaways, the athletes' backstories, and other related content personalized through subscriber preferences.
In a press release, NBCUniversal's comprehensive coverage of this year's Olympics will be the "first-of-its-kind, personalized experience" in collaboration with Emmy Award-winning and popular announcer Al Michaels. Mr. Michaels' voice will be harnessed by generative AI and AI voice synthesis technology and used for the "Your Daily Olympic Recap on Peacock."
The same press release adds that it will rely on a high-quality re-creation of Michael's voice, which is trained on his past appearances on the network and then complemented by his signature expertise and elocution.
The project was unveiled at a press briefing celebrating the 30 days until the Olympic Games. NBC says that the "Your Daily Olympic Recap on Peacock" is designed for busy fans and those looking for concise recaps and will be available to Peacock subscribers starting July 27th. Since the program will be available for Olympics fans on the go, content is accessible on all web browsers and the Peacock app on selected mobile devices.
According to Kelly Campbell, the President of Peacock and Direct-to-Consumer, NBCUniversal, the recaps alongside the other interactive elements like Discovery Multiview and Peacock Live Actions will bring the best sports and personalized Olympics experience for its viewers. Campbell adds that the company "continues introducing unique customer-first features that strengthen our unmatched leadership in live streaming."
The company estimates that nearly 7 million personalized program variants could be streamed across the United States during the Olympics. This will be generated by pulling content from NBCUniversal's 5,000 hours of live coverage, where up to 40 events will happen daily.
Mr. Michaels welcomed using AI technology and immediately approved the arrangement. He added that initially, he was "skeptical but curious." Then, he shared that when he saw the demonstration of how the program would work, he immediately said yes to the project.
In another interview, Michaels marveled at the technology, calling it astonishing. But he also shared that it's a little bit frightening. He said he was 'stunned' at the quality of the technology and how closely it cloned and copied his voice. Michaels said, "It was not only close but almost 2% off perfect."
Creating your AI recap on Peacock
Sports fans and viewers interested in receiving "Your Daily Olympic Recap on Peacock" can visit the Olympic Hub and Peacock's homepage starting June 27th. Here, they can find instructions on how to opt for the types of highlights, topics, and teams they want to see.
Also, some available topics that can be included in the highlights are behind-the-scenes activities, players' back stories, top matches, and viral and trending moments. The program's first edition will be streamed on July 27th and will integrate highlights of the opening ceremony. Starting July 28th, viewers and subscribers can enjoy their personalized versions of the programs.
Here's how the technology will work
According to the NBC press release, the technology will pull content from hundreds of NBC Sports-produced clips daily to generate playlists that run for 10 minutes, highlighting the most relevant moments from the previous day for each user, including a look ahead at what to expect the next day. Michael's voice narrates the action, providing an overview for each highlight. According to NBC, a team of NBCU editors will review the content, including tips and other information for quality assurance and accuracy, before these records are made available to the users.
Michaels will be compensated for his role in the programming. He's a long-time broadcaster and works as a play-by-play sportscaster for the Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime. Michaels was also a regular in the past Olympic Games and has served the broadcasts of both ABC and NBC. He also called the Miracle on Ice Game at the 1980 Winter Olympics in New York.
Paris Olympics starts July 27th
The opening ceremony will be held on Friday, July 26th, and will signal the start of the games. But the action starts Wednesday, July 24th, with pool matches in rugby sevens, football, handball, and archery. The Olympic Games in Paris will showcase over 3,800 hours of live sport and award 329 gold medals in 32 sports, with 18 days of competition. The spectacular ceremony will happen along the River Seine, instead of the usual stadium.
A few exciting events and 'firsts' will happen at the Olympic Games. A new sport called breaking will be introduced, a dance style that originated in the Bronx in New York in the 1970s but has evolved into a competitive sport. There are also a few changes in the lineup of sports. For example, baseball/softball and karate, featured in the Tokyo Games, are no longer part of the program. Also, the format of some sports has been changed, like sports climbing. In Tokyo, sports climbing offered only one medal for both men and women, but in the Paris edition, there is a combined metal for lead and bouldering and a separate event for speed climbing. Another new event that will debut is kayak cross, a form of canoe slalom, with four athletes in each heat race. Also, artistic swimming for men is now featured in the Olympics, and a team acrobatic routine makes its first appearance.
Of course, for followers of generative AI, the Paris 2024 Olympics is also a significant event and milestone. For the first time, AI technology will be showcased in sports on a global scale. The daily sports recap will become more engaging and exciting with the participation of the AI-generated voice of the legendary sportscaster Al Michaels.
So, is this part of the global mainstreaming of generative AI? What are your thoughts on using AI in sports reporting?
