Thousands of athletes, coaches and spectators will be monitored by state-of-the-art artificial intelligence (AI) systems that have been tested at train stations, concerts and sporting events to ensure they work effectively.

AI Camera

The cameras are equipped with AI to alert surveillance operators to any suspicious or potentially dangerous activity. The algorithm has been trained on eight specific areas: traffic violations, entering restricted areas, crowd movements, abandoned parcels, presence or use of weapons, overcrowding, unconscious people on the ground, and fires.

When an incident is detected, the camera operator will assess whether to alert the authorities and request police intervention. Notably, ministers have assured that, during the trial period, no arrests will be made based on images picked up by the AI cameras.

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AI will be widely used at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Photo: BBC

These AI security camera systems will not be fully operational before the Olympics, but after the opening ceremony, French security forces, fire and rescue services, and traffic police will use them until March 31, 2025, French officials said.

The tools have also been tested by French authorities in recent times at train stations, music events, and football matches. In particular, concerts by Depeche Mode and Black Eyed Peas, as well as a football match between Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique Lyonnais, were the first places to test the software.

More tests have been carried out to monitor crowds passing through Nanterre Préfecture and La Défense Grande Arche metro stations on their way to a Taylor Swift concert, or to monitor more than 40,000 people attending the Cannes Film Festival this past May.

Social media post moderation

In addition, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) also deployed AI to prevent harassment targeting 15,000 athletes and officials at this sporting event.

“The IOC will use AI in many areas in Paris,” said a representative of the committee. “We expect half a billion social media posts during the event. If we had to read all of this content manually, it would take 16 years to censor it.”

AI is therefore used to automatically remove posts that contain harassing content. The IOC said the measure is intended to protect athletes from all content, not just political content.

However, the use of AI camera systems for security surveillance at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games has sparked a backlash over privacy concerns. The French Interior Ministry has set up a review committee comprising a senior official from the top administrative court, the head of the privacy watchdog (CNIL), four lawmakers and a mayor to monitor and ensure that the use of AI does not infringe on civil liberties.

(According to Daily Sabah, Yahoo Finance)

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