The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced on Friday that it will deploy artificial intelligence (AI) to block any abuse on social media directed at the 15,000 athletes and officials participating in the Paris Olympics next month. IOC President Thomas Bach confirmed this measure in a press conference, highlighting the significance of protecting participants amid ongoing global conflicts.
The Paris Olympics, set to commence on July 26, will see over 10,500 athletes compete across 32 sports. The event is anticipated to generate more than half a billion social media engagements over its 16-day duration, according to IOC estimates.
“The IOC will use AI in Paris in different areas,” Bach stated. “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,” he explained. “The IOC will instead provide a pro-active AI safeguarding tool to protect athletes from cyber abuse. This AI tool offers extensive monitoring, covering 15,000 athletes and officials. This automatically erases abusive posts to shield athletes.”
The necessity for such measures has been underscored by recent abuses on social media linked to the ongoing wars in Ukraine and the conflict between Hamas and Israel in Gaza. These geopolitical tensions have already sparked online abuse, creating a challenging environment for the upcoming Games.
Russian and Belarusian athletes will participate under neutral status, without representing their national flags, a decision that has angered Moscow. This policy aims to mitigate political tension and maintain the focus on sporting achievements. The AI measures will address all forms of abuse, not just political attacks. However, the IOC has not disclosed specific details regarding the level of access to athletes’ accounts that the AI will require.
Bach also reassured that political developments in France, including the upcoming snap parliamentary elections, will not disrupt the Olympic preparations or the event itself. “No, we are not concerned,” he said. “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.”
French President Emmanuel Macron recently called for a snap parliamentary election, scheduled for the end of the month, following the National Rally’s success in the European Parliament elections. Despite these political shifts, Bach remains confident in the country’s commitment to hosting a successful Olympic event.
