Paris Olympics 2024, AI, and Mass Surveillance

As the world turns its attention to the Paris Olympics 2024, concerns about privacy infringement have started to emerge amidst the planned implementation of advanced AI surveillance. Critics worldwide allege that the French government is capitalising on the event to expand its surveillance power, thereby normalising mass societal surveillance.

The French government in collaboration with the private tech sector is gearing up to deploy extensive surveillance and data collection technology. The procedures, including the contentious use of AI for video surveillance, required the country to modify its laws, raising eyebrows globally. 

 The extensive security operation, termed as the "world's largest security operations outside of war" by authorities, doesn't end here. Reports suggest a provisional decree being negotiated allowing for extensive clandestine surveillance through wiretapping, collecting geolocation, and computer data, further intensifying privacy worries.

Amid these developments, civil liberty advocates and scholars have noted that these actions contradict the General Data Protection Regulation of the European Union, a body that France is a part of. On the other hand, French officials and tech company representatives argue that AI software can fulfill its objectives without violating these regulations, stressing the technology's role in flagging suspicious events rather than identifying people.

Despite the privacy concerns, the French government and the AI companies view this surveillance approach as a beneficial success. 

The lack of regulation and independent testing of AI-enabled systems, however, enhances potential risk of privacy infringement once the data is collected. As globally, the debate about the balance between security and privacy rights continues to intensify, all eyes will be on France and how it handles this significant concern.

- CyberBeat