Join our daily and weekly newsletters for the latest updates and exclusive content on industry-leading AI coverage. Learn MoreMaking its debut in Aspen, X Games will leverage AI technology from Google Cloud to enhance objectivity in subjectively judged sports.The aim is to deepen fan engagement, and provide valuable insights that resonate with both fans and athletes, said Jeremy Bloom, CEO of X Games and a veteran of the sports business, in an interview with GamesBeat.X Games will debut a new experimental AI technology developed in collaboration with Google Cloud, during the Superpipe competition at X Games Aspen 2025,with a goal of bringing new insights and a deeper level of engagement to fans. The event from January 23 to January 25 is sold out and will see tens of thousand of people, with billions of impressions across social, web sites and linear partners. The tech will debut at an event on Thursday at the X Games in Aspen. One of the human leaders among the X Games judges was part of the team to implement it. The first thing it will do is watch practice and well ask it to predict who the top three will be among the snowboarders, Bloom said. Its also going to take over everything for free riders, and it will commentate the entire run and draw back on the history of the athlete.X Games CEO Jeremy Bloom.Bloom said the sport has a global fan base and it will share the commentary in multiple languages like Japanese. After that, it will judge the athletes based on a score. The x Games medals wont be given out based on that AI score in this particular X Games in part because the tech is so new and it isnt necessarily perfect yet, Bloom said. But you will be able to see how the AI judge compares to the human judges. Were excited to show it and preview it and show the power of the things that it does, Bloom said. I think its the future of sports.Its built on Googles Vortex large language model. Bloom said it is good at doing the things you ask it to do and you can train it on footage of events, like what a good landing looks like versus on excellent landing. Bloom said the aim isnt to replace human judges but to bring more accuracy, fairness and transparency to what has to date been a purely human subjective process. Its like the use of instant replay by basketball referees, but in the case of snow sports, no such technology is used. Its all based on what a human judge sees in the moment of the competition. X Games Aspen will have AI judges alongside human judges.You have to make sure it knows every trick in snowboarding, Bloom said. Understanding economy of motion looks like is a difficult problem.The AI technology aims to explore the potential for enhancing objectivity in judged sports, increasing fan engagement, and providing athletes with additional insights into their performances.It will analyze the mens and womens Superpipe competition event. The men compete on Thursday and Saturday. As X Games celebrates its 30th anniversary, the introduction of this technology represents a step toward exploring how emerging technologies like artificial intelligence might complement human judges and offer fans a more detailed understanding of the competition.It will watch qualifying rounds and make a judgement that will be shown to the crowd and the live event after a certain time delay. The crowd will see the results from human judges. The event has snowboarding and skiing for both men and women, with a total of 18 different events. Ive had this idea in my head for decades, Bloom said. With the technology that we have at our disposal, mistakes (in judging) should never happen. It was shaped by my two decades as a professional athlete.Bloom said the tech is cutting edge and it will bring a lot of transparency and fairness to judging. uI dont think this would have been possible last year, he said. Its showing up in ways that surprise me. Athletes say its like having a coach in a pocket.How It WorksX Games 2025 will use AI judging for snowboarding Superpipe competitions.X Games AI uses Google Clouds tools, including Vertex AI and advanced large language models, to analyze video footage and capture data on metrics such as airtime, trick difficulty, and execution. The system is designed to provide deeper analysis of each run, offering fans additional layers of understanding. The tech was developed with input from X Games judges, athletes, and analysts to ensure alignment with the competitions needs.This is just the beginning, said Bloom. AI is still in its early development when applied to action sports, but Im blown away by what our model can already do. Aspen will allow us to test its capabilities and explore how it might enhance transparency, fairness, and engagement for fans and athletes alike.Part of Broader ChangesX Games has a deal with Google Cloud.The introduction of X Games AI aligns with X Games ongoing efforts to evolve its competitions. In 2026, the Action Sports Games League (XGL) will launch a new team-based format, where athletes can compete for both individual and team recognition. The league will also include interactive features such as fantasy sports, betting, real-time analytics, and expanded opportunities for fan engagement.While X Games AI is an early experiment, it reflects our commitment to exploring ways to improve competition and fan experiences, added Bloom. We look forward to gathering feedback from its debut in Aspen and refining the technology based on those insights.X Games Aspen 2025 will provide an opportunity to evaluate the tools performance and gather input from stakeholders. Further updates on X Games AI and its potential applications are expected in the coming months.Jeff Moorad, CEO of MSP Sports Capital, said in a statement, When we acquiredXGames, our goal was to reimagine unique fan experiences and increase access to the worlds premiere athletes. TheXGamespartnership withGoogleis a great example of how we intend to use technology to enhance that experience.Daily insights on business use cases with VB DailyIf you want to impress your boss, VB Daily has you covered. We give you the inside scoop on what companies are doing with generative AI, from regulatory shifts to practical deployments, so you can share insights for maximum ROI.Read our Privacy PolicyThanks for subscribing. Check out more VB newsletters here.An error occured.