When Simone Biles entered the mat to vault at the Sportpaleis in Antwerp, Belgium, all eyes were on her. Cameras from all angles captured her every move, from the audience’s smartphones to the high-speed TV dolly tracking her run. While the audience marveled at her athleticism, few knew about the AI gymnastics judging system set up by Fujitsu and the International Gymnastics Federation. This system, known as the Judging Support System (JSS), used advanced technology to assess the difficulty of the athletes’ routines, providing a second opinion in case of disputes.
The JSS was a culmination of years of work, with the goal of creating fair and transparent scoring for gymnasts. This technological breakthrough was finally implemented at the 2023 World Gymnastics Championships in Antwerp, where cameras strategically placed around the vault podium captured the athletes’ movements in 3D. Despite the system’s capabilities, the question remained: can AI judge human excellence better than a human?
The origin of the JSS began as a joke between FIG president Watanabe and Fujitsu’s Fujiwara, but soon turned into a serious endeavor. The system, though impressive, required significant investment in terms of money, time, and resources. While the technology seemed promising, some questioned whether it was worth the effort for what essentially amounted to an enhanced version of judge-assisted video replay.
As technicians meticulously calibrated the cameras and monitored the competition from behind computer screens, the complexity and energy-intensive nature of the JSS became apparent. Despite its potential, the system raised concerns about the role of technology in judging human excellence in sports.