Artificial Intelligence (AI

Korea17. This example shows that the risk of new and disruptive technologies is intertwined with other risk factors, such as cyberattacks and hybrid threats. of crowds. South Korea used such facial recognition during the 2018 Winter Olympics to ensure security at stadiums.

However, as AI technology evolves, so will malicious strategies in turn. Research conducted by the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs reveals that AI attacks on facial recognition systems could in fact be used to avoid recognition by law enforcement and degrade the accuracy of such systems19. AI-based attacks could be used by terrorists to manipulate facial recognition by cutting or dyeing one’s hair or changing facial characteristics, which automatically makes the efficacy of security systems at sports events jeopardized.

It can be observed that new and disruptive technologies pose one of the highest risks to security at major sporting events, due to their ability to cause hidden damage and penetrate into AI-based systems which were initially believed to support rather than disrupt the work of security officials.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

AI is another risk factor which can be used both to detect as well as to enable malicious activities during sporting events. To give an example, AI can be used by security managers to gain insight into the potential behaviour and intentions of attendees of an event, particularly when it comes to high-profile events. The process of ‘information mining’ is accelerated by AI and is used by security staff to monitor content on social media, online forums and other websites which can be potentially harmful or related to the security of the sporting event18 .

Another increasingly concerning yet still underdeveloped phenomenon is the use of AI in facial recognition scanners that detect potential terrorist threats. Such scanners and detectors are becoming widespread in airports and public spaces with a concentration

17 https://www.cnbc.com/2018/02/05/pyeongchang-olympics-deploy-60000-security-forces-anti-drone-tech.html 18 https://www.policechiefmagazine.org/emerging-tech-event-security/ 19 https://www.belfercenter.org/publication/AttackingAI