At Milano Cortina 2026, Worldwide Olympic and Paralympic Partner Alibaba Cloud will introduce an “Intelligent Pin Trading Station” in the Milan Olympic Village, adding an AI-enabled twist on of the Games’ most cherished traditions.
Designed as a light-touch, interactive experience, the station is intended to make pin trading more fun and more delightful—while also allowing athletes to access a broader selection of pins through a shared pool contributed by athletes across the Village over time.
As a Worldwide Olympic Partner, Alibaba Cloud has supported the Olympic Games’ digital transformation by helping move Games operations and broadcasting to the cloud.
For Milano Cortina 2026, Alibaba Cloud is extending that role into the Olympic Village with an interactive experience that complements Village life and celebrates the social spirit of the Games. The Intelligent Pin Trading Station demonstrates how cloud-based AI can support new forms of engagement—creating small moments of delight that encourage connection and discovery.
Located in the Olympic Village Plaza, the Intelligent Pin Trading Station is designed as a welcoming focal point for leisure and social connection.
Powered by Alibaba’s Qwen model, the station combines embodied devices with an AI system capable of understanding both language and visuals. Athletes place a pin into a capsule and interact naturally using voice and gestures. The AI interprets commands in real-time and guides a robotic arm to select a pin left by a previous participant. The result is a playful exchange that connects athletes through a tradition they already love, while broadening the range of people, countries, and stories represented in each trade.
Life in the Olympic Village balances high intensity competition with training, recovery and the need to reset mentally. The Intelligent Pin Trading Station is designed for athletes to enjoy between commitments, whether they are heading to the dining hall or moving through the Village.
Reducing language and logistics barriers makes participation simple while adding a layer of surprise. Because each pin becomes part of a shared pool contributed by athletes across the Village over time, every exchange can surface something unexpected—helping athletes discover pins from a broader range of countries, sports, and teams than they might encounter in their daily routines.
“The intelligent pin trading station is an innovative enrichment to the Athlete experience in the Milano Olympic and Paralympic Village,” said Federica Sechi, Milano Olympic and Paralympic Village General Manager. ” It preserves the essence of the pin trading tradition in Villages, while adding a new layer of excitement through technology.”
“Our goal is to use cloud-based AI to create something simple but genuinely warm: memorable moments for the athletes,” added Shuai Zhang, General Manager of Brand Management at Alibaba Cloud. “Technology at the Games is not only about broadcasting or data; it is also about the small, everyday interactions that can bring people and nations closer together.”
Pin trading is one of the most recognisable Olympic traditions, symbolising cross-cultural exchange, mutual respect and friendship. Through the Intelligent Pin Trading Station, Alibaba Cloud and the IOC are exploring a new way to honour that heritage—preserving the heart of the tradition while using technology to create new, shared experiences for a new generation of athletes.
According to Anne-Sophie Voumard, Television and Marketing Services Managing Director, initiatives such as the Intelligent Pin Trading Station can help foster a more inclusive and creative atmosphere in the Village, supporting athletes as they pursue excellence on the field of play while enjoying a richer Games-time experience off it.
Beyond the Olympic Village, Alibaba Cloud will continue to support the digital success of Milano Cortina 2026’s digital success. The company will continue to underpin cloud-based operations and broadcasting while helping deliver smart, innovative experiences for fans worldwide.
This article was originally published on Alizila written by Gabbie Fu.
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