World Figure Skating Championships: Figure skating could use Artificial Intelligence to judge technical performance, sporting body says

AI has been used in other sports such as gymnastics

Figure skating judges are supplemented by a technical panel, which looks at decisions such as if a jump is fully rotated.

Artificial intelligence could be used to judge technical performances in figure skating, the head of the sport’s governing body has said.

Speaking to reporters at the World Figure Skating Championships in Montreal, Colin Smith, director of the International Skating Union (ISU), said the body was considering the use of AI to judge technical elements of skating.

Technical decisions such as whether a jump has been fully rotated is currently the responsibility of a technical panel which sits alongside the main judging panel.

Get a daily digest of news from around the globe with The World Explained newsletter

The technology has previously been used in elite gymnastics competitions, while other sports such as diving have also considered its use. At the 2023 gymnastics World Championships, AI was used for the first time to review routines if a score was questioned and it is being considered for use during.

"There are other organisations which have brought in AI,” said Mr Smith. “Like many organisations, we are looking at that as well. What can that add to our process? What can that add to our judging and our scoring system?

"It is definitely something we continue to evolve and continue to work on.”