At the opening day of the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC), Chen Minyi, Vice President of Lenovo Group and Head of the SSG Business Application Service Delivery Department, shared her perspective. She noted that artificial intelligence technology is currently transitioning from consensus to practical application, becoming a core productive force driving industrial upgrading and socio-economic development. As the Official Technology Partner for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Lenovo aims to transform the AI capabilities honed through such premier international events into growth dividends suitable for intelligent operations across all industries and factors. This will accelerate the practical implementation of AI in sectors of the real economy such as manufacturing, energy, transportation, and retail.
Using Lenovo's work in empowering the 2026 FIFA World Cup across the US, Canada, and Mexico as a case study, she pointed out that the World Cup has long transcended being merely a sporting event. It has become an unprecedented, large-scale scenario for AI implementation in human history. Leveraging innovative technology, Lenovo has developed several tailored AI solutions for this tournament, aiming to make the 2026 World Cup the first truly "AI World Cup."
Regarding team preparation, Lenovo created the FIFA AI Pro football AI super-agent. This system can call upon millions of data points in real-time and analyze over 2,000 match metrics. It compresses post-match analysis, which previously took two days, down to within two hours. This assists coaching staff in quickly conducting match reviews, opponent analysis, and tactical planning. This system was made freely available to all 48 participating teams during the World Cup, breaking down the traditional wealth barriers in football data services. It enables teams from developing nations with limited budgets and smaller professional staffs to access world-class AI tactical support, truly achieving technological equity.
In the areas of event broadcasting and officiating explanations, Lenovo's self-developed referee-view AI video enhancement system reduces the industry-common video processing delay of 6 to 15 seconds to under 2 seconds. It achieves an average of 50% and a peak of 70% image stabilization, while keeping the proportion of cropped, shaky footage below 11%. This effectively addresses image jitter issues in high-speed, high-intensity scenarios, providing stable, clear, and reliable first-person perspective footage for VAR officials and global broadcasts. Additionally, a 3D digital avatar visualization solution uses second-level full-body data capture to generate high-precision digital twins of players. Combined with the semi-automated offside system, this enables "millimeter-level" precision in officiating decisions. This not only helps referees achieve fair and transparent judgments but also allows global audiences to immerse themselves in the live action of the matches.
"These applications not only drive AI's transformation of the sports industry but also practice and validate AI's real value in areas aligned with policy directions such as technological equity, enhanced consumer experience, and full-factor management. Furthermore, they explore a new paradigm for universal AI accessibility: from validation in top-tier scenarios, to the distillation of standardized solutions, and then to large-scale replication and promotion. This is precisely the core methodology behind Lenovo's push for universal AI accessibility," Chen Minyi stated. In her view, the ultimate value of AI lies not in the sophistication of the technology itself, but in the breadth of its benefit to the world. AI should not be a luxury for the few; it should become an infrastructure as fundamental as water and electricity.
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