IOC to use AI to protect Paris Olympics 2024 athletes from abusive posts
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is all set to use AI to shield athletes and officials at Paris Olympics 2024 from abusive content targeted at them during the mega event in Paris, as stated by IOC President Thomas Bach on Friday, June 14.
It’s important to note that the Summer Games in Paris are scheduled amid the ongoing wars in Ukraine, following Russia’s invasion in 2022. Furthermore, events between Hamas and Israel in Gaza have led to a few cases of cyber abuse on the internet.
Interestingly, the Paris Olympics 2024, scheduled to start on July 26, will have more than 10,500 athletes competing in 32 different sports. Moreover, the quadrennial event is expected to generate half a billion social media posts.
“The IOC will use AI at Paris in different areas,” Bach told in a press conference. “One is safeguarding, since we expect half a billion social media posts during these Games. If someone were to take only one second to read each post it would take them 16 years to go through."
“The IOC will instead provide a pro-active AI safeguarding tool to protect athletes from cyberabuse. This AI tool offers extensive monitoring, covering 15,000 athletes and officials. This automatically erases abusive posts to shield athletes,” Bach added.
AI to cover all kinds of abuse at Paris Olympics athletes and officials
It’s important to note that Russian and Belarusian athletes will be allowed to compete in the Paris Olympics as neutral athletes instead of taking part under their flag. However, this move has angered Moscow.
Furthermore, Bach also emphasized that political developments in France and the upcoming snap parliamentary elections only weeks before the Olympics would not hamper the preparations and the smooth conduct of the Games.
“No, we are not concerned. Be it the government or the opposition they all express not only their wish but their determination that France presents itself at its best on the occasion of the Olympic Games,” Bach added.
After losing in the EU elections in 2024, French President Emmanuel Macron called for snap national elections in France at the end of the month.