Brisbane 2032's AI Talent Hunt: Is Australia's Privacy Law Ready for YouFor2032?

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly becoming one of the most topical issues in sports law, with sporting bodies using it for performance monitoring, talent identification and tactical analysis.[1] As Australia prepares to host the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, a range of technology-assisted programs are being developed, in line with Australia’s ambition to become “the most AI-assisted sporting nation”[2] by 2032.

One of the most discussed tools is YouFor2032, an app developed by FOLLOW ME AI -  an AI startup made up of AIS sports scientists teamed with international tech experts – for the Queensland Academy of Sport (QAS).[3] YouFor2032 uses computer vision and AI to assess athletic potential in Australians as young as eight years old. By early 2025, the program had tested more than 5,700 participants across 40 locations, including 26 regional and remote areas, reflecting the program’s goal to identify talent in areas that have been excluded by traditional scouting.[4]

The app generates scores that QAS talent staff use alongside face-to-face assessment sessions to identify athletes for potential elite pathways. Human review follows algorithmic screening, so the app does not make final determinations autonomously.[5] But when an algorithm is quietly shaping a child's sporting future based on data they cannot see or challenge, should we be asking harder questions about the rules governing it?

In the Context of Australia’s Privacy Framework

Australia's Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) is the primary federal law governing how personal data is collected and used. It establishes 13 Australian Privacy Principles (APPs), which set requirements around fair collection, purpose limitation, and individual access to data.[6] However, the Act contains a notable exemption: organisations with an annual turnover of AUD$3 million or less - a threshold that encompasses the large majority of Australian businesses - are entirely exempt from its requirements.[7]

YouFor2032 is administered by the QAS, a Government agency. As such, it falls outside the federal Privacy Act and is instead governed by Queensland's Information Privacy Act 2009 (Qld), which has its own set of privacy principles broadly similar to the federal APPs.[8] The YouFor2032 Privacy Statement acknowledges that video footage and personal data may be shared with Queensland government agencies, contracted service providers and sporting organisations.[9] It does not include specific provisions addressing algorithmic decision-making, the use of AI-generated scores, or the right to seek an explanation of an automated output.[10]

A Privacy Tick-Box is Insufficient: What does Research suggest about Algorithmic Bias?

AI talent identification appears to be objective, but the literature suggests that it is not immune from algorithmic bias: AI systems reproducing – or even exacerbating - existing inequalities.[11]

Historical data in sport generally reflects existing patterns of access, with children from higher socioeconomic backgrounds, urban areas or communities with established sports infrastructure are more likely to engage in structured training and competition.[12] If an AI system learns from the data of these groups alone, it is unlikely to accurately capture potential in children whose movement patterns or development reflect different circumstances.[13]

The IOC's Olympic AI Agenda recognises this concern, stating that “AI must be free from latent bias and partiality”[14] and calling for systems that are “fair and impartial.”[15] The IOC document does not, however, establish binding obligations on member organisations or national programs, nor does it specify how bias testing should be conducted or what remediation is required when bias is found.

Neither the federal APPs nor Queensland's Information Privacy Act currently require organisations using AI to conduct bias audits, document training data, or test for disparate outcomes across users.[16] Whether YouFor2032's specific methodology has been subject to independent bias evaluation has not been publicly disclosed.

What does this mean in Practice for Australia

YouFor2032 is a genuine attempt at increasing opportunity for Australian athletes, especially young people in regional or remote parts of the country who may otherwise go unnoticed throughout the process of talent ID.[17] The efficacy of this objective is demonstrated by the number of participants who have engaged with the app so far and reflects a considered effort to reduce geographic disadvantage in athlete pathways.[18]

However, YouFor2032 operates in a regulatory environment that was not designed with AI-assisted assessment in mind. As a result, there are no specific requirements for transparency, bias auditing, or accountability in decision-making. This leaves families with minimal information about how the AI generates scores, how their data is used, and whether the system’s decisions have been tested for fairness across different groups.

Australia has real potential to lead the world in sports technology, but the APPs as they stand are not sufficiently protecting the children whose data makes that possible. Closing the small business exemption, mandating bias audits as a condition of funding, and giving athletes and families a genuine right to understand and challenge AI-driven decisions should be considered in the Australian privacy reform process. By implementing research-led changes, Brisbane 2032 has the potential to be a showcase of ethical AI in sports.

Reference List

[1] Lau Kok Keng, 'The Impact of Technology on Sports' in Elgar Concise Encyclopedia of Sports Law (Elgar Publishing, 2024) ch 79, 351; Alexis Schoeb, ' Blockchain Technology, Cryptos, and the Sports Industry’ in Elgar Concise Encyclopedia of Sports Law (Elgar Publishing, 2024) ch 10, 46

[2] Vince Rugari, 'Australia building a high-tech edge to win Olympic gold in Brisbane' The Sydney Morning Herald (online, 15 April 2023) quoting Stuart Morgan https://www.smh.com.au/sport/australia-building-a-high-tech-edge-to-win-olympic-gold-in-brisbane-20230415-p5d0mo.html.

[3] Queensland Academy of Sport, 'YouFor2032' (Web Page, 2024) https://www.qas.org.au/youfor2032.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Queensland Academy of Sport, 'YouFor2032 — How It Works' (Web Page, 2025) https://www.qas.org.au/youfor2032.

[6] Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) sch 1 ('Australian Privacy Principles')

[7] Ibid s 6c (‘small business operator).

[8] Information Privacy Act 2009 (Qld) sch 3 ('Information Privacy Principles and National Privacy Principles').

[9] Queensland Academy of Sport, 'YouFor2032 Privacy Statement' (Web Page, 2024) https://www.qas.org.au/youfor2032/privacy.

[10] Ibid.

[11] Australian Human Rights Commission 11–12.

[12] Brendan Schwab, ‘The Rights of Athletes’ in Elgar Concise Encyclopedia of Sports Law (Elgar Publishing, 2024) ch 85.

[13] Australian Human Rights Commission 11–13.

[14] International Olympic Committee, Olympic AI Agenda (Report, 2024) 8.

[15] Ibid.

[16] Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) sch 1 ('Australian Privacy Principles'); Information Privacy Act 2009 (Qld) sch 3 ('Information Privacy Principles and National Privacy Principles').

[17]Queensland Academy of Sport, 'YouFor2032 Participant Data' (Web Page, 2025) <https://www.qas.org.au/youfor2032>.

[18] Ibid.