The Οlympic Games as testing and promotion field of mass control and surveillance technologies: From C4I of Athens 2004 to the Artificial Intelligence of Paris 2024

Abstract

This article presents the evolution of mass control and surveillance technologies in the Summer Olympic Games (OG) in the first twenty years of the 21st century after 9/11/2001, with an emphasis on the upcoming Paris 2024 OG. In particular, it briefly refers to the characteristic Olympic Security technologies, i.e. the 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. Finally, more emphasis is placed on the upcoming applications of Artificial Intelligence ( TN) in Paris 2024, such as in algorithmic facial recognition and predictive analytics of future behavior, which have caused a lot of protest. These fully legitimize "Surveillance Capitalism" and raise serious concerns for the rights and freedoms of citizens, even after the end of the Games. In brief, the article with a critical, glocal analysis seeks to document that the OG, which especially after 9/11/2001 constitute the largest security organisations in peacetime, within a regime of exception that is perpetuated, are a testing, showcase - demonstration field, promoting the latest security and surveillance technologies on a global market. For this reasons, plus the huge cost, the organization of OG is no longer attractive, and the proposal for clean alternative OG is developing.