How AI is changing gymnastics judging

These championships were the first time the technology, formally known as the Judging Support System, or JSS, had been used on every apparatus in a gymnastics competition--and its first use in a competition that could make or break an athlete's Olympic dreams. While the AI judging system did not replace human judges--rather, it was available to help judges review routines in case of an inquiry or a "blocked score"--it still marked a watershed moment for the sport that was years in the making. The International Gymnastics Federation (known as FIG, its initials in French) first used JSS to judge pommel horse, rings, and vault back at the 2019 World Championships before adding more events at different competitions each year. There are obvious upsides to using this kind of technology in competition. Human gymnastics judges must have an eye for quick, tiny movements: the point of a toe, the angle of a split (did she hit 180?), the slightest bend at the hip. AI could help take the guesswork out of the technicalities.