As the 2024 Paris Olympic Games approach, French authorities are ramping up security measures to an unprecedented level, combining traditional policing techniques with cutting-edge artificial intelligence to safeguard one of the world's most-watched sporting events.
According to a report by USA Today, the French security operation is targeting a range of potential threats, including extremist plots, cyberattacks, civil unrest, and opportunistic crime. Camille Chaize, a spokesperson for France's interior ministry, told the publication that authorities are striving to "strike a balance" between ensuring safety and maintaining the accessibility and enjoyment of the games.
Pro-Palestinian protesters denounce Israeli athletes' participation in Olympics
Demonstrators gathered in the center of Paris on Saturday (July 20) to protest the Israel delegation's participation in the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics #HussainForJustice@PressTV - #Palestine pic.twitter.com/GYNc8qIwA7
— SR - Oppressed (@RupaniGarcon) July 22, 2024
The security plan involves special anti-terrorism measures, legislation, and the deployment of tens of thousands of additional police and military personnel. Heightened patrols near landmarks and tourist sites are also part of the strategy.
One of the most notable aspects of the security operation is the use of AI-assisted software and powerful security cameras positioned at Olympic sites. These technologies are designed to detect potential danger signs in real time, such as the initial sparks of a fire, someone appearing to flash a weapon, or a vehicle entering a restricted area.
Mathieu Zagrodzki, a security expert at CESDIP, a criminal justice research center at the University of Versailles, explained that the AI cameras will track crowd movements, suspicious luggage, and what he described as "unusual patterns" of activity. "If, for example, there's a line moving in one direction and there's a person moving in the opposite way, or maybe there's a person going back and forth, or standing in a single location for quite a while," Zagrodzki said.
The use of AI for surveillance has raised concerns about potential infringements on civil liberties. While French law prohibits the public use of facial and biometric recognition technology, the AI-enhanced algorithmic video surveillance cameras deployed around Olympic sites are capable of such functions. Authorities maintain that the technology will not be used to track specific individuals.
The security operation extends beyond French borders, with national governments taking steps to protect their athletes and citizens. The United States, which will have one of the largest delegations at the games, is coordinating its security efforts through a hub at the US Embassy in Paris.
A US security official, speaking anonymously due to the sensitive nature of the mission, said that the "threat matrix" facing the Games includes terrorism, cyberattacks, and protests – all areas "the French are well acquainted with."
France has been at its highest level of terrorist threat alert, known as Emergency Attack, since October 2023. The nation's history of terrorist attacks, including the 2015 Paris attacks and the 2016 Nice truck attack, underscores the gravity of the security challenges facing the Olympic organizers.
