World Athletics Provides AI Protection for Athletes

World Athletics has launched year-round AI protection for 25 athletes following extensive cyber bullying incidents during major events, as revealed in a four-year report utilizing Signify Group's Threat Matrix service. The study analyzed over 350,000 social media posts from the 2024 Paris Olympics, identifying 809 abusive comments, with a significant portion being racist (18%), sexual (13%), and sexist (17%). Two athletes were disproportionately targeted, receiving 82% of the total abuse. Jamaican sprinter Junelle Bromfield highlighted her experiences with cyber bullying, including death threats, during the Paris Games. World Athletics President Sebastian Coe emphasized the importance of athlete welfare and the need for effective measures to ensure safe engagement on social media. The report also noted a sharp increase in racist abuse during the 2023 world championships compared to previous years.