Architects and designers are using AI to reshape how we experience live events. As this becomes the norm, Kirsty Mitchell explores how we preserve the distinct collective energy that draws us like magnets to live events
The lights dim as Beyoncé appears on stage, glittering in a sequined leotard. As she launches into “Crazy in Love,” you feel the reverberations in your chest through the roar of the crowd. But you’re not actually in Manchester’s AO Arena. Instead, you’re immersed in a hyper-realistic concert simulation created by AI. With personalised camera angles and a queued playlist, it’s a concert delivered straight to your living room.
Welcome to the exciting future of AI-enhanced live events. From virtual reality (VR) to personalised highlight reels, artificial intelligence is reshaping how we experience sports matches, concerts and more.
The £30 billion UK live sports market has proven resilient, even in uncertain economic times. Consumers continue to show a willingness to pay a vast sum for live matches and concerts. Despite all the technologies that virtualise, enhance and customise these events, the physical venue remains their beating heart.
However, there is still a place for digital technologies. VR and augmented reality (AR) can make you feel like you’re sitting on the centre line or front row while still in the comfort of your home. The Premier League offers VR streams to give remote fans an immersive matchday experience. Spectators use VR headsets or smartphones to chat with their friends while watching live matches from different angles and perspectives. Meanwhile, AR can overlay digital information and graphics to augment in-stadium views. AR can be used to display player stats, trivia questions, or social media feeds.
IBM and Wimbledon are using AI to transform the digital Wimbledon experience. For 2023, they used their Watsonx platform to develop an AI commentary feature that provides automated match narration for highlight videos on the Wimbledon website and app. The system uses a generative language model fine-tuned with the use of unique Wimbledon nomenclature. This technology could eventually offer every fan their own tailor-made sports or music event recaps.
The Swedish pop group ABBA is achieving huge success with ABBA Voyage, a virtual concert residency in London. The performance features digital avatars of long-retired band members playing hits like “Waterloo” and “Dancing Queen”. Using motion capture technology and visual effects, the show allows the band to virtually perform as holograms without being physically present in the custom-designed, demountable, 3,000-capacity arena. Since opening in 2022, this AI-enhanced show has grossed £2 million a week at 99% occupancy.
The £30 billion UK live sports market has proven resilient, even in uncertain economic times
While impressive, can manufactured content replace the appeal of live music? What happens to the experience when all the imperfections of living, breathing people are engineered out?
With the rise of powerful AI image, video and music generators that are freely accessible to anyone with an Internet connection, we face an existential crisis of authenticity.
Fake content will soon flood social media platforms, placing authenticity in the digital realm under siege. Generative AI can craft photorealistic media and music that few can distinguish from the real thing. Social media has already distorted reality through selective editing and filters, which has become the norm on our feeds. As AI capabilities become more sophisticated, determining what is real versus fake online will become increasingly challenging. This means that live and authentic events will become much more sought-after.
On the plus side, sports teams are leveraging AI and machine learning for many different uses. These range from enhancing the fan experience to offering game insights and bringing in talent. But the usefulness of data-driven technology doesn’t stop there. Predictive analytics and optimization techniques offer another layer of sophistication. Event organizers can use these advanced tools for planning, scheduling, and managing live events.
Data for these analytics comes from a myriad of sources. Ticket sales, social media engagement, weather forecasts, and traffic patterns all feed the algorithms. The goal is to proactively identify and adapt to variables that could impact the success of live events. By doing so, these tools boost operational efficiency and profitability. Most importantly, they contribute to a better overall experience for fans.
As AI capabilities become more sophisticated, determining what is real versus fake online will become increasingly challenging
Architects and designers are using AI to help create deeply immersive experiences. As this ultimately becomes the norm, how do we preserve the distinct collective energy that draws us like magnets to live events?
The sweet smell of stadium grass, the palpable energy in the air, the sounds of people chanting and singing—these idiosyncrasies help make each event memorable. While AI can personalise content, it can’t duplicate the near-transcendent feeling created when people gather in a shared space.
Despite the allure of digital stadiums crafted by metaverse architects, the physical arena will remain the epicentre of live events. The pandemic seemed to confirm this, with live events making a resounding comeback as soon as restrictions were lifted.
Digital platforms offer intriguing possibilities for fans who are unable to attend live events. But they will never be a replacement for the real thing. Hybrid events that combine in-person and virtual experiences are emerging as a compromise. They expand accessibility while preserving the essence of live participation.
For us, the solution is to thoughtfully blend AI-powered and other technological innovations while keeping the focus on the action inside a stadium or arena. Venues should remain a blank canvas that should be easily adapted and personalised to differing uses and formats. While VR and AR can supplement that in-venue experience, they can’t replicate the collective energy of thousands of people gathered to experience an event together. If integrated with care, however, AI’s emerging abilities to enhance live events can help preserve that magic.
Postscript
Kirsty Mitchell is a senior associate at HOK
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