On Technology and the Olympic Games
The International Olympic Committee (IOC), in an April 2024 statement, said:
“AI can help to identify athletes and talents in every corner of the world. AI can provide more athletes with access to personalized training methods, superior sports equipment, and more individualized programmed to stay fit and healthy.
“Beyond sporting performance, AI can revolutionize judging and refereeing, thereby strengthening fairness in sport.
"AI can improve safeguarding in sport. AI will make organizing sporting events extremely efficient, will transform sports broadcasting and will make the spectator experience much more individualized and immersive."
Separately, Vincent Strubel, director general of ANSSI (France’s cybersecurity agency) said:
“The Games are facing an unprecedented level of threat ... but we've also done an unprecedented amount of preparation work, so I think we're a step ahead of the attackers.
"We can't prevent all the attacks, there will not be Games without attacks, but we have to limit their impacts on the Olympics.
"There are 500 sites, competition venues and local collectives, and we've tested them all."
Finally, reports suggest that the French government will use artificial intelligence surveillance systemsfrom Videtics, Orange Business, ChapsVision, Wintics and others.
These platforms will focus on eight key areas: 1) traffic that goes against the flow, 2) the presence of people in prohibited zones, 3) crowd movement, 4) abandoned packages, 5) the presence or use of weapons, 6) overcrowding, 7) a body on the ground, and 8) fire.
OUR TAKE
The Olympics will drive innovations in many areas of sports including: 1) attire, equipment, analytics, 2) event judging and oversight,3) media coverage and distribution and 4) event logistics.
Both cybersecurity technologies and cyber attack approaches will continue to evolve. These dynamics present risk for the Olympics and continuing challenges to the global economy.
As surveillance platforms leverage advances in high performance cameras, drones, and computer vision - concerns will persist about privacy, biased analyses and the misuse of data.