The X Games Aspen 2025 has made history by introducing artificial intelligence as a judging assistant in the Men’s Snowboard Superpipe competition. In collaboration with Google Cloud, the event trialled an AI-powered system capable of analysing tricks, landings, and overall execution in real time. While the final scores were still determined by human judges, the AI provided instant insights into key performance metrics, marking a major step toward the integration of technology in judged sports.
The system, developed using Google Cloud’s Vertex AI, was trained on thousands of hours of past competition footage to evaluate execution quality, amplitude, and landing precision. By detecting subtle details like hand drags or slight landing instabilities, the AI added an additional layer of objectivity to a traditionally subjective scoring system. Organizers hope that this level of precision will help eliminate inconsistencies in scoring, providing athletes with fairer evaluations and enhancing the credibility of results.
X Games CEO Jeremy Bloom, a former freestyle skiing world champion, emphasized that the AI is designed to support, not replace, human judges.
“We see this as a tool to complement judging expertise, not override it. AI can analyse minute details instantly, providing an added layer of accuracy that ensures fairness for all athletes.”
While the system did not influence official results this year, its trial run has sparked discussions about its future role in snowboarding competitions and beyond.
The X Games’ adoption of AI follows a growing trend in sports officiating, with several major leagues already integrating similar technology. In gymnastics, the International Gymnastics Federation has implemented AI-assisted judging in sanctioned events, while Major League Baseball continues to test automated strike zone technology. Football has also seen the rise of semi-automated offside technology, introduced at the FIFA World Cup and in various domestic leagues. These advancements reflect a broader shift toward data-driven officiating, as AI provides greater accuracy and minimizes human error in crucial decision-making moments.
With the technology proving its potential in Aspen, future X Games events could expand AI’s role in competition judging, instant replay analysis, and even real-time coaching feedback. As innovation continues to shape the future of action sports, AI-assisted judging could soon become a standard tool for ensuring transparency, accuracy, and fairness in competitive snowboarding.