The inaugural United Against Online Abuse (UAOA) conference is currently taking place in Paris, France, with the aim of discussing strategies to combat this issue. FIA has already partnered with Arwen AI, a company that has previously collaborated with top Formula 1 teams such as Mercedes, Red Bull, and Alpine. An FIA spokesperson mentioned that they are actively developing their artificial intelligence capabilities to tackle this problem. FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem revealed that over 4,000 sites were blocked in a seven-week period leading up to last year’s FIA annual congress. FIA has been in talks with TikTok, Google France, and Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Notable participants at the conference include representatives from World Rugby, the International Tennis Federation, the ATP Tour, FIFA, and French Minister of Sport and the Olympic Games Amelie Oudea-Castera. According to a recent survey, 75% of athletes reported receiving threats to their physical safety. Furthermore, over 90% agreed that if online abuse continues unchecked, athletes would consider leaving their respective sports. It is important to recognize that this issue also affects individuals who volunteer their time. Ben Sulayem emphasized the importance of volunteers and highlighted the harmful consequences that would arise if they were driven away. He stressed the urgent need for unity among governments, media, and federations to promote significant change. Ben Sulayem expressed optimism about the conference, citing the support of the French government and the collective effort to address this issue.
