The Chinese state is using facial recognition software powered by AI (Artificial Intelligence) to allegedly better “track and control” its 11m-strong minority group, the Uighurs.
The claim comes from investigative journalists at The New York Times, which say they have been alerted to this possible breach of AI ethical practice by “whistleblowers” – “the first known example of a government intentionally using artificial intelligence for racial profiling, experts said”.
“Documents and interviews show that the [Chinese] authorities are also using a vast, secret system of advanced facial recognition technology to track and control the Uighurs,” says the report, which adds that in one month alone 500,000 such facial scans were captured.
The facial recognition technology, which the paper says is integrated into China’s “rapidly expanding networks of surveillance cameras”, looks exclusively for Uighurs based on their appearance and keeps records of their comings and goings for search and review. Apparently, to make the algorithms work, Chinese law enforcers have put together facial image databases for “people with criminal records, mental illnesses, records of drug use, and those who petitioned the government over grievances”.
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The practice makes China a pioneer in applying next-generation technology to watch its people – potentially ushering in a new era of “automated racism”, it suggests.
The journalists seem to have had access to details of Chinese public sector IT procurement deals, given that it notes how over 20 Police departments in 16 different provinces and regions across the county having been ordering such technology beginning in 2018: Law enforcement from the central province of Shaanxi, for example, aimed to acquire a smart camera system last year that “should support facial recognition to identify Uighur/non-Uighur attributes”.
The Chinese AI companies behind the software include Yitu, Megvii, SenseTime, and CloudWalk, which are each valued at more than $1bn. Another company that sells cameras and software to process the images, Hikvision, offered a minority recognition function, but began phasing it out in 2018, says the Times.
