PORTLAND, Ore. — With less than a week until the 2024 Paris Olympics, controversy still swirls around this year’s Games.
In Paris, there is rising concern over the use of “artificial intelligence surveillance” and how the bolstered security may impede human rights and personal freedom — particularly, the ability for activists to legally protest and the general use of technology in the future after the Olympic Games conclude.
In this week’s episode of "Straight Talk," Jules Boykoff, an author of several books on the Olympics and former Team USA soccer player, discusses what’s happening in Paris and what to watch out for as the Games unfold.
"In my estimation, these are probably the most politically charged Olympics that we've seen in decades," Boykoff said.
On a recent trip to Paris to watch the Games' preparation, Boykoff said there's been a growing consensus against the Olympics. A 2023 poll found that 44% of people living in the Paris region thought that the Olympics were a "bad thing," in part due to concerns over the Games being mislabeled as “green” and the increased security oversight in the city.
Boykoff pointed out some ways Paris has been trying to make the Olympic Games more climate-friendly: offering more vegan meal choices to athletes to using more wood and sustainable materials in the Olympic Village and venues. However, he added, the biggest carbon problem the Olympics face is with just the amount of travel required to get to and from the Games and the various event locations.
When he travels to the Olympics next week, Boykoff said, "I'll make basically a carbon bomb that contributes to climate disruption that we're seeing today."
The well-being of athletes in the Olympic Games has also been called into question. From his experience, Boykoff said it's lower in priority than one may seem during the Games.
"You might think of this is paradise for athletes, but behind that shimmering scrim of Olympism sits some real problems with how athletes are treated, and the International Olympics Committee sits at the nexus of that," Boykoff said.
Boykoff discusses more during the show on the artificial intelligence surveillance concerns surrounding the 2024 Paris Olympics and the politically charged nature of this year's Games.
"Straight Talk" airs Saturday and Sunday at 6:30 p.m., and Monday at 7 p.m. "Straight Talk" is also available as a podcast.