AI Takes Over the Olympics: New Tech Spins Athletes in 3D and Hunts for Landmines

AI Takes Over the Olympics: New Tech Spins Athletes in 3D and Hunts for Landmines A wave of artificial intelligence is transforming global events and security operations, from creating impossible camera angles at the Olympics to hunting for deadly explosives. At the recent Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, a new broadcasting technology made its global debut. It used AI to generate replays of athletic moves from angles where no physical camera could exist. When American figure skater Ilia Malinin performed a quadruple jump, viewers saw a replay that appeared to orbit around him in mid-air, showing all four revolutions in a startling new perspective [82096]. The system creates detailed 3D models from standard footage, allowing broadcasters to show replays from any vantage point [82096]. Beyond entertainment, AI is being deployed for critical safety missions. The United Kingdom is testing drones that use artificial intelligence to scan the ground and automatically identify hidden landmines and other explosive threats from a safe distance. A successful trial has shown the system works, aiming to make bomb disposal faster and much safer for soldiers who currently often must check dangerous areas on foot [118535]. In environmental protection, Hong Kong is using similar technology to balance development with conservation. The Environmental Protection Department is testing AI-powered cameras to automatically identify bird species and a laser-scanning robot, resembling a robotic dog, to map and measure the health of trees in sensitive areas like the Hong Kong Wetland Park. Officials say these tools eliminate human error from wildlife surveys, providing precise data for upcoming infrastructure projects [47560]. Meanwhile, the drive for more powerful AI itself is fueling a race for next-generation hardware. Chinese scientists announced a new method to grow ultra-thin "2D" semiconductors—materials often just one atom thick—at speeds 1,000 times faster than before. This advance could accelerate the production of the advanced chips needed to power increasingly demanding artificial intelligence systems [126743]. AI Replay Tech Makes Olympic Jumps Spin on Screen AI Drones Hunt Landmines: UK Tests Life-Saving Tech Hong Kong Deploys AI Robot Dogs to Scan for Wildlife China Claims 1,000x Faster Chip Breakthrough