adminThe French Senate has overwhelmingly backed a bill that will allow experimental artificial intelligence (AI)-powered video surveillance during the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games with 245 in favour and 28 against.
Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra thanked senators for pushing the legislation through calling it an ‘‘essential milestone’’ for the Games. This bill was introduced in December under the country’s security plans.
It includes the introduction of large-scale, real-time camera systems supported by an algorithm that detects suspicious behaviour including unsupervised luggage and potential stampedes.
There has been opposition to this, with groups such as La Quadrature du Net and the Human Rights League campaigning against something that could become permanent.
Earlier in January, the Law Committee added additional safeguarding including better oversight from French data protection authority National Commission on Informatics and Liberty (CNIL).
Any training regarding algorithms is to be completed before the Olympics begin and must be compliant with privacy rules and humans would need to be involved in the process.
Amendments to facial recognition was rejected in the Senate. The French Government made it clear the legislation would not include facial recognition — a controversial security measure which critics say is racially biased and has led to the arrest of innocent civilians due to lapses in its accuracy. This bill must now go to the National Assembly. — Inside the Games.
Mathew Masinge
Online Reporter