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Artificial intelligence
AbacusTech

The world’s most valuable AI startup helps China spy on its citizens

SenseTime builds surveillance databases for local governments… and software for selfie apps

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SenseTime surveillance software identifying details about people and vehicles during a demonstration at the company's office in Beijing, China. The descriptions next to the woman reads: Adult, long sleeves, long pants, navy blue top, grey bottom. (Picture: Reuters)
Karen Chiu
This article originally appeared on ABACUS
With US$600 million in fresh funding, SenseTime is now the richest artificial intelligence startup on Earth. Haven’t heard of it? Here’s a quick primer.

Who are SenseTime?

Founded in 2014, SenseTime was created by a group of university researchers. Filled with 150 PhD graduates, it’s published more papers at top AI conferences than Facebook or Google.
SenseTime surveillance software identifying details about people and vehicles during a demonstration at the company's office in Beijing, China. The descriptions next to the woman reads: Adult, long sleeves, long pants, navy blue top, grey bottom. (Picture: Reuters)
SenseTime surveillance software identifying details about people and vehicles during a demonstration at the company's office in Beijing, China. The descriptions next to the woman reads: Adult, long sleeves, long pants, navy blue top, grey bottom. (Picture: Reuters)
The company mission statement reads, in part, “We believe that AI will unlock another era of China-led global development.”
The Hong Kong-based startup isn’t shy about flaunting its Chinese identity. SenseTime, or Shang Tang, shares its name with the first king of the Shang dynasty, an era beginning in around 1600 BC that saw rapid development in the country. As cofounder Xiaoou Tang explained to the MIT Technology Review, “China was leading the world… And in the future, we will lead again with technological innovations.”

So what do they do?

It’s no secret that China wants to become a world leader in AI -- and use the powerful technology to track its citizens. SenseTime’s services can help exactly with that.

Want to scan faces in a surveillance video? How about matching individuals in a large database of faces, or figuring out a person’s gender, ethnicity and age? SenseTime says it can do all of that.

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