From C4I to AI: Security-Surveillance Technologies from Athens 2004 to Paris 2024 Olympics and Their Legacy

Abstract In this article we first make a brief socio-political approach to the transformation of contemporary Olympics as security and surveillance Games. We consider the impact of 9/11, the interests of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and those of the “Surveillance-Industrial Complex” , which reinforce surveillance capitalism. Then, we briefly review the main security and surveillance technologies implemented in the summer Olympic Games (OG), from Athens 2004 up to the last Paris 2024 Games. Hence, we refer to C4I of Athens 2004, the digital wall of Beijing 2008, the Olympic fence of London 2012, the Simera balloon of Rio 2016, and the facial recognition cameras of Tokyo 2020. We focus more on the applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Algorithmic Video Surveillance (AVS) in Paris 2024 Games. While AVS has for first time been legalized in France, civil society has succeeded to exclude the algorithmic facial recognition. These Olympic AI technologies fully develop and legitimize “Surveillance Capitalism” and raise serious concerns for citizens’ rights and freedoms even long after the Games. Finally, we assess that the AI legacy of Paris 2024 Olympics will contribute to a significant transformation of future Olympics into algorithmic Games, enriching sports with lots of algorithmic applications, however at the expense of human rights and civil liberties. This and the overall skyrocketing cost have made the organizing of Olympics unattractive and caused a growing post-Olympic skepticism for pure Olympics.