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Can AI Judge Figure Skating?
In the realm of sports, innovation is not limited to any single domain. In fact, recent advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) have led to significant breakthroughs in various areas, including medicine and transportation. While AI has made waves in its application to baseball, a new frontier has emerged: figure skating.
Yes, you heard that right – figure skating. The idea of AI judging this delicate art form may seem foreign, but it’s precisely what Amelie Chan suggests. As an expert in the field, she highlights the potential for AI-driven scoring systems to bring fairness and objectivity to this intricate sport.
The complexity of measuring every skater requires a high degree of synchronicity, which AI analysis can achieve by examining various aspects such as body line and leg angle. Chan proposes the concept of a “Synchrobot” that could analyze these parameters consistently and fairly for each dancer. The idea is not only to improve judging but also to eliminate human biases from scoring.
To tackle the challenges in developing an AI-based system, Chan points out that data scarcity might be a significant obstacle. This raises the question of how to collect high-quality video data for training machine learning models. In addition, data may need to be hand-labeled, a process that could potentially slow down the development of such a system.
To overcome these hurdles, Chan suggests using convolutional neural networks (CNNs) that can learn from unsupervised data sets. According to her, pre-training our CNN using the shuffle and learn method developed by researchers at CMU and Facebook AI could be the key to unlocking meaningful results.
By leveraging these tools, it’s possible to create an AI system capable of detecting individual skaters while also analyzing group movements. This could potentially flag moments of unison and assist judges in identifying precise leg angles and body positioning.
While the potential for AI-driven scoring is substantial, it raises the question: Can machines truly mitigate human bias? The answer lies in harnessing the power of machine learning to observe both individual and team performances. By automating certain aspects of judging, we can take a significant step forward in creating a fairer world of figure skating.
In conclusion, the potential for AI in judging figure skating is not limited to just scoring moves and performances. This innovation has far-reaching implications that extend beyond the sport itself. It sets the stage for exploring new avenues in coaching and self-feedback, all while redefining the role of judges in this highly nuanced art form.
The prospect of data-driven scoring is nothing short of astonishing, with the potential to revolutionize the way we perceive and engage with various sports. As we embark on this exciting journey through 2025 and beyond, it’s crucial to recognize the transformative power of AI in shaping the future of our world – not just limited to figure skating, but across multiple disciplines as well.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnwerner/2025/03/13/can-ai-judge-figure-skating/
