FIA Collaborating With Leading American University to Examine the Role of AI in Tackling Online Abuse in Sport

The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), the global governing body for motor sport and the federation for mobility organisations worldwide, has today announced a landmark research collaboration with the University of Notre Dame, a leading research university in the United States. Supported by the FIA Foundation, the collaboration will strengthen the global response to online abuse in sport through joint research and innovation.

The agreement sets out a framework for collaborative research projects between the FIA and the University of Notre Dame. These will focus on the causes, impact, and prevention of online abuse in sport, including the emerging role of artificial intelligence (AI) in both the spread of harmful content and the development of potential solutions. Additionally, they will examine how online abuse intersects with identity, alongside athlete experiences, mental health, and the regulatory response of sports federations.

The University of Notre Dame and United Against Online Abuse (UAOA) are collaborating to address the growing challenge of online abuse in sports. Using AI-enabled solutions alongside surveys and policy research, the project will track harassment trends and identify risks. It also introduces digital literacy workshops and a “Digital Civility and Safety Quest” to help youth navigate online spaces safely. Together, these efforts aim to protect athletes and foster safer digital communities around sport.

The findings of this analysis will contribute to research papers, including the UAOA Barometer report, the leading annual study on online abuse in sport, helping to shape practical policy considerations for creating safer online spaces across the global sporting community.

The University of Notre Dame also signed the UAOA Charter, making it an official member of the global coalition and the eighth academic institution to endorse the UAOA campaign.
This marks a significant milestone in the growth of the FIA’s UAOA campaign, representing its first academic collaboration in the United States. UAOA’s expansion into the US is particularly notable given the country’s deep-rooted sports culture, where major leagues such as the NFL, NBA, and MLB attract millions of fans and generate intense online engagement.

Speaking at the SEMA Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, FIA President and UAOA Founder said:
"This collaboration represents an important step forward in our mission to combat online abuse across all levels of sport. I look forward to working with the University of Notre Dame, one of the world’s leading research institutions, to explore innovative, AI-powered solutions and to develop evidence-based strategies to ensure a safer and more inclusive sporting environment for all. Our joint goal is to foster a safer inclusive online environment for athletes, teams, and fans worldwide.”

Professor Nitesh Chawla, Director of the Data, AI, and Computing Initiative, Founding Director of the Lucy Family Institute for Data & Society, and the Frank M. Freimann Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Notre Dame said:
“As the threat of online abuse continues to impact the sports world and beyond, this collaboration will enable us to better examine possible solutions and how we can use technology to protect our digital spaces. I’m looking forward to working with United Against Online Abuse, using rigorous interdisciplinary research to look at both the challenges and opportunities presented by AI.”

Chawla, who is also a fellow of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI), fellow of the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM), fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is the principal investigator on the project.

The collaboration reinforces both organisations’ shared commitment to promoting respect and belonging in sport and beyond, and represents a strong endorsement of the FIA’s UAOA campaign from a world-leading and globally respected academic institution.

The FIA’s UAOA campaign is a research-led coalition supported by the FIA Foundation. Founded in 2023 the campaign has witnessed rapid growth in recent months and was recently awarded Peace and Sport’s prestigious Coalition for Peace award in recognition of its world-leading efforts building a formidable campaign driving meaningful change.

To date, the UAOA coalition has welcomed endorsements from the Governments of Greece, France, Slovenia, Albania, Australia, Kenya, Costa Rica, Namibia, Rwanda, Georgia and the Republic of Paraguay, alongside organisations such as the Association of IOC Recognised International Sports Federations (ARISF) which represents one million athletes, sports federations including Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) that has over 50 World Championships, the International Esports Federation, ASETEK SimSports, International Federation of American Football, Paris Basketball Foundation, International Federation for Sports Officials (IFSO), Peace and Sport Monaco, UNESCO, the Council of Europe, Clark Hill LLP, Arwen.AI, Signify and Dublin City University.

ENDS

About the FIA

The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) is the governing body for world motor sport and the federation for mobility organisations globally. It is a non-profit organisation committed to driving innovation and championing safety, sustainability and equality across motor sport and mobility.

Founded in 1904, with offices in Paris, London and Geneva, the FIA brings together 245 Member Organisations across five continents, representing millions of road users, motor sport professionals and volunteers. It develops and enforces regulations for motor sport, including seven FIA World Championships, to ensure worldwide competitions are safe and fair for all.

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