2026 Winter Olympics to feature AI replays, first-person drones

Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics Unveils AI and Drone Broadcasting Innovations

Two days before the opening ceremony, Olympic Broadcasting Services unveiled the most advanced suite of broadcasting technologies ever deployed at a Winter Games, promising viewers an immersive experience that will place them alongside athletes racing down icy tracks and soaring through Alpine air.

The Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, which officially opens on February 6 at Milan’s San Siro Stadium, will feature first-person view drones taking viewers down a luge track for the first time in Olympic history, AI-powered instant replay systems that can reconstruct 3D moments in seconds, and an AI assistant to guide fans through the competition.

Drones and AI Transform How Viewers Experience Winter Sports

“We will be using FPV drones at very intense levels,” said Yiannis Exarchos, CEO of Olympic Broadcasting Services, at a media briefing last week. “What we’ve got now is a new generation of technology that really allows for a safe use of drones that go very close to the action. You will be seeing images that we have not seen before in how these sports are covered.”inkl

The drones will be deployed at the Sliding Center in Cortina d’Ampezzo, racing down the course behind athletes in bobsled, luge, and skeleton competitions. While drones were first introduced at the 2014 Sochi Games, the technology has evolved to allow closer proximity to athletes while maintaining safety.sportsvideo

Alibaba Cloud has partnered with OBS to introduce upgraded Real-Time 360-degree Replay systems. Powered by AI algorithms that separate athletes from complex backgrounds such as snow and ice, the system can generate three-dimensional reconstructions of key moments in as little as 15 to 20 seconds, fast enough for live broadcast use. The technology will be deployed across 17 sports and disciplines.taiwannews

An AI tool called Olympic GPT will also debut, providing fans with real-time results, rules, and verified information through Olympics.com.cgtn

Athletes Protected by AI-Monitored Social Media Shield

The Japanese Olympic Committee announced it has established a task force to monitor abusive social media posts around the clock from bases in Japan and Milan throughout the Games, using AI to track harmful content.adnkronos

“We’ve established a system for swiftly requesting that abusive posts be taken down and providing support for athletes,” said Hidehito Ito, head of Japan’s delegation, at a press conference in Milan on Monday.adnkronos

Transparent Torches Reveal the Flame’s Inner Workings

The Games also feature a design innovation: Olympic torches named “Essential” that, for the first time in Olympic history, allow spectators to see how the flame is generated. A vertical slit runs along the body of the torch, revealing the burner in action. Developed by Eni with Studio Carlo Ratti Associati, the torches use bio-GPL produced from renewable feedstocks.coni

The Opening Ceremony at San Siro Stadium on February 6 will welcome more than 75,000 spectators as over 3,500 athletes from more than 90 countries enter to mark the official start of the Games.samsung