Join our daily and weekly newsletters for the latest updates and exclusive content on our industry-leading AI coverage. He learns more
For the first time in Aspen, X Games It will leverage Google Cloud’s AI technology to enhance objectivity in self-judged sports.
The goal is to deepen fan engagement, delivering valuable insights that resonate with both fans and athletes, X Games CEO and sports business veteran Jeremy Bloom said in an interview with GamesBeat.
X Games will debut a 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 event, which takes place January 23-25, is sold out and will see tens of thousands of people in attendance, with billions of impressions across social media, websites and written partners.
The technology will debut at Thursday’s event 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 she’ll do is watch practice and we’ll ask her to predict who the top three will be” among the figure skaters, Bloom said. “She will also handle everything for the free riders, commentating on the entire tour and tapping into the athlete’s history.”
Bloom said the sport has a global fan base and will share commentary in multiple languages such as Japanese. The athletes will then be judged based on the result. Bloom said x Games medals will not be awarded based on the AI score in these X Games, in part because the technology is so new and not necessarily perfect yet. But you will be able to see how the AI judge compares to human judges.
“We’re excited to showcase it and preview it and show the power of the things it does,” Bloom said. “I think this is the future of the sport.”
It is built on Google’s Vortex large language model. He’s good at doing things you ask him to do and you can train him on footage of the action, such as what a good landing versus an excellent landing looks like, Bloom said. Bloom said that the goal is not to replace human judges, but rather to achieve greater accuracy, fairness and transparency in what has so far been considered a purely subjective and humanitarian process. It is like the use of “instant replay” by basketball referees, but in the case of snow sports, no such technology is used. It all depends on what the human judge sees at the moment of competition.
“You have to make sure he knows all the tricks in figure skating,” Bloom said. “Understanding the economy of motion seems to be a difficult problem.”
AI technology aims to explore the potential to enhance objectivity in refereed sports, increase fan engagement, and provide athletes with additional insights into their performance. The men’s and women’s Superpipe competition event will be analyzed. The men compete on Thursday and Saturday.
As the X Games celebrates its 30th anniversary, the introduction of this technology represents a step towards exploring how emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence can complement human judges and offer fans a more detailed understanding of the competition.
You will watch the qualifying rounds and make a judge which will be shown to the audience and the live event after a certain time delay. The audience will see the results from human judges. The event includes men’s and women’s snowboarding and skating, with a total of 18 different events.
“I’ve had this idea in my mind for decades,” Bloom said. He added: “With the technology we have, errors (in judgment) should never happen. I was shaped by my two decades as a professional athlete.
Bloom said the technology is advanced and will bring a lot of transparency and fairness to arbitration. You
“I don’t think that would have been possible last year,” he said. “It shows up in ways that surprise me. Athletes say it’s like having a coach in the pocket.
How it works
X Games AI uses Google Cloud tools, including Vertex AI and advanced big language models, to analyze video footage and capture data on metrics like air time, trick difficulty, and execution.
The system is designed to provide deeper analysis of each round, providing fans with additional layers of understanding. The technology was developed with input from X Games referees, athletes and analysts to ensure it matches the needs of the competition.
“This is just the beginning,” Bloom said. “AI is still in its early stages of development when applied to action sports, but I’m impressed by what our model can already do. Aspen will allow us to test its capabilities and explore how it can enhance transparency, fairness and engagement for fans and athletes alike.”
Part of broader changes
The introduction of X Games AI is in line with X Games’ ongoing efforts to evolve its competition. In 2026, the Action Sports 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 reflects 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 improving the technology based on those insights.”
X Games Aspen 2025 will provide an opportunity to evaluate the performance of the tool and gather input from stakeholders. More updates to the X Games AI and its potential applications are expected in the coming months.
“When we acquired X Games, our goal was to reimagine unique fan experiences and increase access to the world’s elite athletes,” Jeff Murad, CEO of MSP Sports Capital, said in a statement. “The Use technology to enhance that experience.
