- Olympic athletes are now using artificial intelligence to design their custom Nike sportswear.
- This innovative approach allows athletes to create personalised attire that reflects their unique style and performance needs.
OUR TAKE
This initiative by Nike is expected to disrupt the traditional sportswear industry by offering a new level of customisation and personalisation that was previously unavailable to athletes. The successful implementation of AI in sportswear design for Olympic athletes may pave the way for broader applications of AI in the fashion and design industries.
–Rebecca Xu, BTW reporter
What happened
Nike, the renowned sportswear label, has introduced a pop-up AI-powered lab within its Athlete House at the Paris Olympic Games, enabling athletes to customise their own sports apparel.
Nike-sponsored athletes can use Nike’s proprietary AI tool on a tablet to design custom clothes and sneakers. They can enter a prompt which the AI will turn into custom images that can be printed onto apparel in minutes. The AI system is programmed to create designs utilising Nike’s signature elements, such as the Swoosh emblem and the motivational phrase “Just do it”.
A selection of sneakers crafted by athletes will be exhibited at the Pompidou Center, a hub of contemporary art located in the heart of Paris. Each shoe is crafted through Nike’s A.I.R. process, integrating advanced technologies like AI to conceive innovative sneaker concepts.
“The ability to design my own sportswear with AI is incredible,” said an Olympic athlete. “It’s not just about looking good, it’s about feeling confident and performing at my best.”
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Why it’s important
“At Nike, our purpose is to support athletes in their daily lives and during their most pivotal sporting occasions,” says Tanya Hvizdak, Nike’s VP for Global Women’s Sports Marketing. “The Athlete House in Paris mirrors the feedback we receive from athletes, offering them a specialised sanctuary for rest, recovery, and preparation with state-of-the-art facilities.”
Nike’s AI-powered sportswear design tool is a testament to the company’s forward-thinking approach to sports and fashion. As athletes continue to push the boundaries in their respective sports, AI is proving to be a valuable asset in creating personalised and performance-enhancing attire.
This collaboration between athletes and AI demonstrates the potential of technology to revolutionise the sportswear industry and provide athletes with innovative and personalised products. Nike plans to continue exploring the possibilities of AI in creating custom sportswear for athletes of all levels in the future.
