The Olympics are a different experience when you watch them in the United States than when you watch them here in the Netherlands. That’s because American media is fed a lot of AI, which we in Europe have turned down.
The Olympic Games have been going on for a few days now and have now officially opened with a spectacular show. Now it is mainly up to the athletes to provide the spectacle, because in the coming weeks 206 countries will compete against each other. However, watching the sports activities in the United States is very different than in Europe, because in the US generative AI is used and in Europe it is not.
AI-stem
The most striking example comes from NBC, where the voice of real sports reporter Al Michaels has been transformed into AI. Michaels is still alive and still reports on sports, but a new tool has been introduced that personalizes your highlights of the athletes, so that you get a daily update on which sports you find interesting. There are many different options possible, which Michaels cannot possibly record himself. That is why an AI version of this well-known sports voice has been chosen.
Warner Bros. Discovery, which broadcasts in Europe via HBO (Max), says the tech is too young for a role as sports commentator. It has seen demonstrations from tech companies that could translate coverage from English into other languages, for example, but it feels it lacks the emotion when it comes to the exciting sporting moments. In other words, it lacks what Jack van Gelder did with Dennis Bergkampor the way the famous Andrés Cantor builds up and then continues for a very long time Goooaaal shouts. “The demos show that the words are translated well, but the feeling is not conveyed,” Warner tells Reuters.
Olympics
By the time the summer games are back, it will be 2028. The sporting event will be held in Los Angeles. There is a good chance that artificial intelligence will have a bigger role in global sports reporting, including in Europe.
Read more about sports.
Source: www.bright.nl
