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Making his debut in Aspen, X games will leverage AI technology from Google Cloud to improve objectivity in subjectively judged sports.
The goal is to deepen fan engagement and provide valuable insights that resonate with both fans and athletes, X Games CEO and sports industry veteran Jeremy Bloom said in a interview with GamesBeat.
X Games will launch new experimental AI technology, developed in collaboration with Google Cloud, during the Superpipe competition at X Games Aspen 2025, aiming to bring new insights and a deeper level of engagement to fans. The January 23-25 event is sold out and will see tens of thousands of people, with billions of impressions across social media, websites 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 responsible for implementing it.
“The first thing he’ll do is watch the practices and we’ll ask him to predict who the top three will be” among the snowboarders, Bloom said. “He will also take care of everything for the free riders, and he will commentate the entire race and retrace the athlete’s story.”
Bloom said the sport has a global fan base and will share commentary in multiple languages like Japanese. After that, he will judge the athletes based on a score. X Games medals will not be awarded based on the AI’s score in those particular X Games, in part because the technology is so new and not necessarily perfect yet, Bloom said. But you will be able to see how the AI judge compares to human judges.
“We’re excited to show it, preview it and show the power of what it does,” Bloom said. “I think it’s the future of the sport.”
It is built on Google’s large Vortex language model. Bloom said he’s good at doing the things you ask him to do and you can train him on event footage, like what a good landing looks like versus a great landing. Bloom said the goal was not to replace human judges but to bring more accuracy, fairness and transparency to what has until now been a purely human subjective process. It’s like the use of “instant replay” by basketball referees, but in the case of snow sports, no such technology is used. It’s all based on what a human judge sees at the time of competition.
“You have to make sure he knows all the tricks of snowboarding,” Bloom said. “Understanding the economy of motion seems to be a difficult problem.”
AI technology aims to explore the potential to improve objectivity in judged sports, increase fan engagement and provide athletes with additional insights into their performance. He will analyze the men’s and women’s Superpipe competition event. The men compete on Thursday and Saturday.
As the X Games celebrates its 30th anniversary, the introduction of this technology represents a step toward exploring how emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence could complement human judges and provide fans with a more detailed understanding of the competition.
He will watch the qualifying rounds and make a judgment which will be presented to the crowd and the live event after a certain delay. The crowd will see the results of the human judges. The event offers 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, errors (of judgment) should never happen. This has been shaped by my two decades as a professional athlete.
Bloom said the technology is cutting-edge and will bring a lot of transparency and fairness to judging. you’
“I don’t think it would have been possible last year,” he said. “It manifests itself in ways that surprise me. Athletes say it’s like having a coach in your pocket.
How it works
X Games AI uses Google Cloud tools, including Vertex AI and advanced extended 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 race, giving fans additional levels 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,” Bloom said. “AI is still in its early stages when applied to action sports, but I’m blown away by what our model can already do. Aspen will allow us to test its capabilities and explore how it could improve transparency, fairness and fan and athlete engagement. »
Part of wider changes
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 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 fan engagement opportunities.
“While X Games AI is a first-time experience, it reflects our commitment to exploring ways to improve the competition and fan experience,” Bloom added. “We look forward to gathering feedback from its early days in Aspen and refining the technology based on that information.”
X Games Aspen 2025 will provide an opportunity to evaluate the tool’s performance and gather feedback 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 X Games, our goal was to reimagine unique fan experiences and increase access to the world’s best athletes. The X Games partnership with Google is a great example of how we intend to use technology to enhance this experience. »
