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As London Marathon runners racked up their numbers this week, their hearts were undoubtedly beating a little faster than usual ahead of the big test. Among them was Olympian, world record holder and Boston Marathon winner Des Linden.
But Linden isn’t running the race. Instead, her heart thumping away was a hologram, a completely digital recreation of her heart based on MRI scans and other technology. This is a virtual replica of the real thing, or what experts call a “digital twin.”
In the future, we hope that these digital twins will enable physical twins to perform better than ever before. This example was created by TCS to commemorate the marathon, but futurists believe that these virtual copies can be created on a global scale, allowing them to understand the effects of large-scale interventions without cost or risk. believe.
This is just one of many technologies that are transforming marathons beyond recognition. From new super shoes to the growing use of artificial intelligence, perhaps the simplest sport in the world, endurance running is quickly becoming a playground for technology, changing the sport beyond recognition.
But that future may not look all that different right away. If we end up watching a marathon in 10 or even 50 years, it’s likely to be people running on the roads just like they did thousands of years ago. People would still have to run 42.2 miles, even if the arteries were scanned and the digital twin had done it before to make sure the strategy was optimized.
But these runners may have been given a prior indication in their virtual heart that their performance would decline after spending three hours at a constant heart rate, for example. Or it could mean hearing an AI coach who knows you better than you yourself, speculates TCS futurist Bill Quinn. This coach will know exactly when you’re flagging and can give you the inspiration you need as well as accurate advice. Such an inspirational word.
However, for now, the surveillance technology we have is far better at getting to know you than it is at providing actionable information. Data often “provides data, but it doesn’t necessarily provide intelligence,” Quinn says. But he hopes there is technology to make this much better. For example, artificial intelligence will be able to take these disparate data and stitch them together into something actually useful.
It all depends on the availability of detailed data. And much of this sensor technology is already being put into practical use. Even casual runners wear smartwatches, which monitor them while they work out and sleep, collecting vast amounts of data and providing recommendations. Amateurs are now offered continuous blood sugar monitors, such as the Abbott Apple, which measure blood sugar levels at rest and during exercise in hopes of providing nutritional recommendations.
Much of that data resides within its own apps, which can make it difficult to get useful recommendations. Quinn points out that there is not just one “digital twin” and that its existence is a problem. It’s also very personal in nature, which is why customers are increasingly concerned about it. “We have to be thoughtful about how this data is used, who it is shared with, and how that information is used,” Quinn said. Used in a somewhat sinister way. ”
A few days before the marathon, the International Olympic Committee announced a new AI challenge. IOC President Thomas Bach said that while athletes are in the unique position of knowing that AI will not take their jobs, artificial intelligence will be introduced into every part of sport.
For example, machine learning can help spot talent by finding patterns that suggest a child is particularly good at a particular sport. TV stations are also working on AI-powered systems that will help viewers summarize events and automatically edit quick videos of highlights to keep them up to date. It will also be beneficial for people.
Of course, these technologies risk exacerbating the inequalities that exist in sports. Wealthy countries can afford more computers, just as they can afford to hire more coaches. But Christophe Schell, executive vice president and chief commercial officer at Intel, which will be held as part of the upcoming Olympics, argued it could also help reduce emissions.
He pointed to a project Inter is running in Senegal that uses AI to identify young people who are particularly promising in specific sports. At this point, they simply don’t have the ability to access the cloud and analyze data. “Right now, if you have access to a cell phone, you can participate,” he said.
Days later, and miles away, nearly 50,000 people will be lining up to start the marathon. Some may do this without any data at all. Others can see exactly how much glucose is in their blood and how fast their heart is beating. Some people might scan their heart to see exactly how their heart beats work, or scan their feet to see exactly how their feet fit in a £250 super shoe. But they all have to run just as far.
