China Installs 20 Million of the ‘World’s Most Advanced’ AI Surveillance Cameras to Track People

Chinese citizens are now being watched over by 20 million security cameras equipped with artificial intelligence technology as part of the government’s anti-crime operation program ironically named “Sky Net”.

The state of the art surveillance system, claimed to be the most advanced in the world, is reportedly developed mainly to track down fugitives, according to K618.cn (via Daily Mail).

Sky Net’s advanced facial recognition technology aids local law enforcement agencies in identifying criminals among pedestrians or motorists.

A clip showcasing the technology as it displays real-time CCTV information of citizens on screen has become widely shared on local social media platforms. The demo shows that the system is able to identify a person’s age, gender, and color of the clothes. Information on vehicles, such as the type and color are also identified.

The tech relies on its pedestrian-scanning system utilizing computer vision technology to accurately identify targets. Authorities are then able to track criminals with the use of GPS tracking and facial recognition. If a person of interest matching any criminal in the database is captured by the camera, the police are immediately alerted.

Officially launched in 2015, “Operation Sky Net” was initially aimed to hunt for corrupt fugitive officials as part of the Chinese central government’s crusade against corruption. Apparently, the program has now been extended across the country to apprehend other individuals engaging in other types of criminal activity.

Back in July, it was reported that China is also developing a crime-prevention system that would allow authorities to stop a potential crime even before it is committed using facial recognition technology and advanced artificial intelligence.

Some Chinese citizens have expressed fear that such tools will eventually be utilized to monitor more of their lives.

“We don’t have any privacy anymore under the watch of the Chinese government!” a netizen was quoted as saying.

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