Olympics 2024: A Games turbocharged by AI

PLUS: The Seine cleanup wasn’t a failure. [View in browser]( | [Your newsletter preferences]( 08.06.24 Paris is a city swamped in security. Forty thousand barriers divide the French capital. Packs of police officers wearing stab vests patrol pretty, cobbled streets. The river Seine is out of bounds to anyone who has not already been vetted and issued a personal QR code. Khaki-clad soldiers, present since the 2015 terrorist attacks, linger near a canal-side boulangerie, wearing berets and clutching large guns to their chests. French interior minister Gérald Darmanin has justified these measures as vigilance—not overkill. France is facing the “biggest security challenge any country has ever had to organize in a time of peace,” he told reporters. Parisians are grumbling about road closures and bike lanes that abruptly end without warning, while human rights groups are denouncing “unacceptable risks to fundamental rights.” For the Games, this is nothing new. Complaints about dystopian security are almost an Olympics tradition. Previous iterations have been characterized as Lockdown London, Fortress Tokyo, and the “arms race” in Rio. This time, it is the least-visible security measures that have emerged as some of the most controversial. Security measures in [Paris have been turbocharged by a new type of AI](, as the city enables controversial algorithms to crawl CCTV footage of transport stations looking for threats. [Portrait of Morgan Meaker] [Morgan Meaker](, Senior Writer [Image may contain: Adult, Person, Clothing, Hat, Glove, Officer, Police Officer, Accessories, Bag, Handbag, and Glasses]( [At the Olympics, AI Is Watching You]( [BY MORGAN MEAKER | 4-MINUTE READ]( [A controversial new surveillance system in Paris foreshadows a future where there are too many CCTV cameras for humans to physically watch.]( [The Incredible Simone Biles]( [Take a closer look]( at the gold medal-winning Yurchenko double pike, dubbed the 'Biles II'. Rhett Allain breaks down how it's possible. ✚ Read more: [The physics of Simone Biles’ Yurchenko Double Pike]( [One of the Most Daunting Sports]( If you thought Mondo Duplantis’ gold-winning [pole vault looked almost impossible](, you’re right. Rhett Allain explains. ✚ Read more: [A self-healing pole vault pole is one great leap for sports tech](   [Photo of a woman taking a selfie in front of the Eiffel Tower.]( [No, the Seine Cleanup Wasn’t a Failure]( [BY HELEN MASSY-BERESFORD | 5-MINUTE READ]( [The goal of the Seine-cleansing project is to produce swimmable conditions for the people of Paris for years to come—the Olympics was just a milestone in getting there.](   [Image may contain: Art, Collage, Couch, Furniture, Person, Advertisement, Poster, Bed, Indoors, and Interior Design]( [Why Paris 2024 Olympic Athletes Are Sleeping on Cardboard Beds]( [BY RICCARDO PICCOLO | 2-MINUTE READ]( [The competitors’ bedroom furniture is simply stiff paper, along with coffee tables made from badminton shuttlecocks and ottomans made from parachute fabric. And as for durability, this gear can go the distance.](   [Image may contain: Body Part, Finger, Hand, Person, Clothing, Footwear, Shoe, Skin, Tattoo, Adult, Face, and Head]( [Don’t Think Breakdancing Is a ‘Real’ Olympic Sport? The World Champ Agrees (Kinda)]( [BY DEXTER THOMAS | 13-MINUTE READ]( [As the breaking final takes place on August 10, Phil Wizard, the top-ranked B-boy in the world, is looking for a gold medal. But he isn’t convinced breaking is a sport.](   [Jesse Grupper climbing a rock wall]( [What Climber Jesse Grupper Is Bringing to the Olympics]( [BY ADRIENNE SO | 5-MINUTE READ]( [If you're inspired to take up climbing while Grupper competes in the semi-finals tomorrow, this is the forearm massager, climbing shoes, and ice vest (hello, climate change) that you need. ✚ Plus: For all of WIRED's Olympics coverage, visit]([wired.com/olympics](   ADVERTISEMENT [GET WIRED]( [The future is happening fast. Stay ahead of it with WIRED. Get full tech coverage with a subscription to WIRED for just $30 $5. Plus free stickers!]( [Subscribe Now.](   [WIRED logo image]( Thanks for reading. Was this newsletter forwarded to you? [Sign up here](. Plus, [browse more newsletters]( from WIRED. [(image) WIRED on Facebook]( [(image) WIRED on Twitter]( [(image) WIRED on Instagram]( [TikTok]( [(image) WIRED on LinkedIn]( [(image) WIRED on YouTube]( [Podcasts](   You’re receiving this email because you signed up for the Daily newsletter from WIRED. [Manage your preferences]( | [View our Privacy Policy]( | [Unsubscribe]( Have questions or comments? [Send us a message](mailto:hello@wired.com?subject=Daily newsletter feedback). Need help? [Contact us](. Copyright © Condé Nast 2024. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.