Making his debut in Aspen, X Games will use AI technology from Google Cloud to improve the objectivity of subjectively judged sports.

The goal is to deepen fan engagement, and provide valuable insights that resonate with fans and athletes, said Jeremy Bloom, CEO of the X Games and a veteran of the sports business, in an interview with GamesBeat.

The X Games will debut a new experimental AI technology developed in collaboration with Google Cloud, during the Superpipe competition at the X Games Aspen 2025, with the aim of bringing new insights and more deep level of engagement with fans. The event from January 23 to January 25 is sold out and will see tens of thousands of people, with billions of impressions across social, web sites and linear partners.

The technology will debut at an event Thursday at the X Games in Aspen. One of the human leaders among the X Games judges was part of the team that implemented it.

“The first thing it does is look at practice and we ask it to predict who is the top three” among snowboarders, Bloom said. “It will also replace everything for free rides, and it will comment on the entire course and return to the history of the sport.”

Bloom said the sport has a global fan base and it will share commentary in multiple languages ​​such as Japanese. After this, it will judge the athletes based on the score. The x Games medals won’t be awarded based on the AI ​​score at this particular X Games in part because the technology is so new and it’s not perfect yet, Bloom said. But you can see how the AI ​​judge compares to human judges.

“We’re excited to show it off and preview it and show the power of the things it does,” Bloom said. “I think this is the future of sports.”

It’s built on Vortex, Google’s massive language model. Bloom says it’s good at doing things you ask it to do and you can train it on footage of events, like what a good landing looks like versus a good landing. landing. Bloom said the goal is not to replace human judges but to bring more accuracy, fairness and transparency to what is currently a purely subjective human process. This is similar to the use of “instant replay” by referees in basketball, but in the case of snow sports, no technology is used. It’s all based on what a human judge sees during the competition.

“You have to make sure it knows every snowboarding trick,” Bloom said. “Understanding the economics of mobility seems like a difficult problem.”

AI technology aims to explore the potential for improving objectivity in refereed sports, increasing fan engagement, and giving athletes more insights into their performances. It will focus on the men’s and women’s Superpipe competition event. The boys will compete on Thursday and Saturday.

As the X Games celebrates its 30th anniversary, the introduction of this technology represents a step towards exploring how new technologies such as artificial intelligence can complement human judges and offer fans a more detailed understanding of the competition.

It will watch the qualifying rounds and make a decision that will be shown to the crowd and the live event after a one-hour delay. The crowd can see the results from human judges. The event features snowboarding and skiing for men and women, with a total of 18 different events.

“I’ve had this idea in my head for decades,” Bloom said. “With the technology we have, mistakes (of judgment) never happen. It was shaped by my two decades as a professional athlete.”

Bloom said the technology is great and it will bring more transparency and fairness to the judgement. you

“I don’t think it was possible last year,” he said. “It shows up in ways that surprise me. Athletes say it’s like having a coach in a pocket.

How It Works

X Games AI uses Google Cloud tools, including Vertex AI and advanced large-scale language models, to analyze video footage and capture data on metrics such as airtime, cheat difficulty, and enforcement.

The system is designed to provide deeper analysis of each run, offering fans additional layers of understanding. The technology was developed with input from X Games judges, athletes, and analysts to ensure alignment with the needs of the competition.

“This is just the beginning,” said Bloom. “AI is still in early development when applied to action sports, but I’m amazed at what our model is already capable of. Aspen allowed us to test its capabilities and explore how it can improve transparency, fairness, and engagement for fans and athletes.

About Wider Changes

The introduction of X Games AI is in line with X Games’ ongoing efforts to improve its competitions. In 2026, the Action Sports Games League (XGL) will launch a new team-based format, where athletes can compete for 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 demonstrates our commitment to exploring ways to improve competition and fan experiences,” Bloom added. “We look forward to gathering feedback from its debut in Aspen and refining the technology based on those insights.”

The X Games Aspen 2025 will provide an opportunity to evaluate the device’s 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 acquired the X Games, our goal was to reimagine unique fan experiences and increase access to premiere events. The X Games partnership with Google is a great example of how we intend to use technology to enhance that experience.