https://www.scmp.com/rss/326770/feed Latest news, in-depth features and opinion on facial recognition technology, its development, application and concerns over its use. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Hong Kong has been slower than other parts of the world to embrace the use of surveillance cameras and facial recognition technology in the fight against crime. But the city is catching up. The first phase of the government’s SmartView programme, completed last year, saw the police install 5,000 cameras and integrate another 6,000 from other departments and organisations. This is just the beginning. Around 60,000 cameras are expected to be in place by 2028 and another 6,500 will be added by... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3345703/smooth-roll-out-surveillance-tech-will-help-hong-kong-combat-crime?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3345703/smooth-roll-out-surveillance-tech-will-help-hong-kong-combat-crime?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2026 22:45:07 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Chinese artificial intelligence pioneer SenseTime has open-sourced a “world model” and kicked off its foray into the burgeoning field of embodied intelligence by releasing its first robotic dogs. The Hong Kong-listed AI firm’s new venture, Ace Robotics, on Thursday released Kairos 3.0, an open-source model that simulates the physical world, and a developer platform called “KaiWu” that supports embodied intelligence applications. “Ace Robotics will promote the large-scale commercialisation of... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3336956/sensetime-pushes-open-source-ai-model-provide-smart-brain-every-robot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3336956/sensetime-pushes-open-source-ai-model-provide-smart-brain-every-robot?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Dec 2025 13:30:16 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Police have credited their “SmartView” surveillance system with helping the investigation of more than 480 cases and the arrest of more than 840 suspects. At the same time, the force said it would push ahead with expanding the system through integrating closed-circuit television feeds from other departments and public organisations, on top of adopting and scaling up the use of facial recognition. Coverage is to be expanded to public housing estates, cross-harbour tunnels, venues hosting the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3330222/police-cctv-coverage-must-be-expanded-care-ensuring-data-security?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3330222/police-cctv-coverage-must-be-expanded-care-ensuring-data-security?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Oct 2025 22:45:13 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma Hong Kong police will incorporate facial recognition technology into their surveillance cameras as early as the end of this year, enabling officers to identify suspects and missing people in real time, the force has revealed. Senior Superintendent Eric Leung Ming-leung said that from the end of July, the force would also expand its “SmartView” surveillance camera installation programme to mobile cameras installed on 60 patrol cars that would be able to identify vehicles and licence plates. “We... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3319503/hong-kong-police-could-deploy-facial-recognition-technology-cctv-system-end-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3319503/hong-kong-police-could-deploy-facial-recognition-technology-cctv-system-end-year?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Jul 2025 00:30:09 +0000 Ng Kang-chung Ng Kang-chung Hong Kong legislators have called for facial recognition technology to be adopted at the upgraded Huanggang land crossing while giving an initial green light to a HK$1.75 billion (US$223 million) government proposal to site border clearance facilities in the complex. At a meeting of the Legislative Council’s security panel on Monday, some lawmakers also expressed concern that the expanded Huanggang checkpoint, which was designed to handle 200,000 passengers and 15,000 vehicles every day between... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3317270/hong-kong-lawmakers-call-facial-recognition-system-upgraded-land-crossing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3317270/hong-kong-lawmakers-call-facial-recognition-system-upgraded-land-crossing?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Jul 2025 12:25:20 +0000 The use of facial recognition scanners on the mainland has become part of daily life, used not only by law enforcement authorities but also hotels, housing estates, university campuses and shopping centres. While the increasingly sophisticated technology can make identification quicker, easier and more convenient, there have been growing public concerns about the risk of leaks and other privacy breaches. The passing of new regulations to reflect these concerns, restricting the use of facial... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3305308/facial-recognition-china-calls-protective-measures?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3305308/facial-recognition-china-calls-protective-measures?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Apr 2025 21:41:43 +0000 The use of facial recognition identification should not be forced upon people, and service providers will be required to offer alternative ID methods, under regulations due to come into effect in China on June 1. The new rules mark Beijing’s first major attempt to regulate facial recognition, a technology widely adopted around the country – such as at hotel check-ins, entrances to gated communities and to make digital payments. Jointly released by the Cyberspace Administration of China and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3303463/china-lays-down-law-facial-recognition-first-focus-privacy-security?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3303463/china-lays-down-law-facial-recognition-first-focus-privacy-security?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Mar 2025 12:00:08 +0000 Imagine a pair of glasses that could tell you the name and address of anyone you met. Harvard students Caine Ardayfio and Anhphu Nguyen made them a reality in just four days. The students adapted Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses and computer software to create spectacles using existing facial recognition technology to identify people in real-time, underscoring the potential for augmented reality (AR) in future. The glasses were able to deliver someone’s name in just under two minutes using an existing... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/gadgets/article/3286328/ar-glasses-can-tell-names-and-addresses-people-you-meet-expose-huge-privacy-risks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/gadgets/article/3286328/ar-glasses-can-tell-names-and-addresses-people-you-meet-expose-huge-privacy-risks?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Nov 2024 08:15:08 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen A co-founder of Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) company Megvii has been named chairman of the board at a local carmaker, as the Alibaba Group Holding-backed firm deepens ties with industrial markets, according to corporate filings. Yin Qi, who also serves as CEO of Megvii, was appointed chairman of Lifan Technology Group, once China’s top maker of motorcycles, the Shanghai-listed company said in a statement on Tuesday. The appointment comes months after Yin acquired a 19.91 per cent stake... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3286225/founder-alibaba-backed-ai-firm-named-chairman-carmaker-techs-industry-ties-deepen?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3286225/founder-alibaba-backed-ai-firm-named-chairman-carmaker-techs-industry-ties-deepen?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Nov 2024 12:30:15 +0000 More than 50 widely used apps in mainland China – including platforms operated by Tencent Holdings, Alibaba Group Holding and ByteDance – are taking part in beta tests for the country’s proposed cyber identity authentication system. The Ministry of Public Security and the Cyberspace Administration of China last month published the draft regulation for “National Cyber ID Authentication”, as more than 50 apps recently started accepting virtual IDs created under this system for user account... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3272779/chinas-leading-apps-including-wechat-and-taobao-test-proposed-national-cyber-id-system?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3272779/chinas-leading-apps-including-wechat-and-taobao-test-proposed-national-cyber-id-system?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Aug 2024 09:00:14 +0000 Zhou Bowen, an artificial intelligence (AI) scientist formerly with US tech giant IBM and Chinese e-commerce platform operator JD.com, has become the new head of the Shanghai AI Laboratory after the death of its first director Tang Xiao’ou, a leading expert on facial recognition and co-founder of SenseTime Group. Zhou, 47, made his public debut as director of the Shanghai AI Lab on Thursday at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC), China’s largest AI event featuring prominent... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3269319/former-ibm-scientist-helms-shanghai-ai-lab-after-death-sensetimes-tang-xiaoou?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3269319/former-ibm-scientist-helms-shanghai-ai-lab-after-death-sensetimes-tang-xiaoou?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Jul 2024 11:00:12 +0000 Facial recognition is such a big part of mass surveillance in China that some see it as evidence of a surveillance state. Yet there have been signs of pushback against overuse of the technology. In April, amid industry concern about attracting foreign tourists, the Shanghai authorities issued a ban on mandatory face scanning at hotel check-in. Across China, many hotels have also stopped requiring guests who present valid identification documents to have their faces scanned. In March, Dai Bin,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3261578/not-good-look-china-should-turn-away-too-much-facial-recognition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3261578/not-good-look-china-should-turn-away-too-much-facial-recognition?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 May 2024 12:30:16 +0000 Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) giant SenseTime Group halted trading of its stock in Hong Kong after its share price surged more than 30 per cent on Wednesday morning, following the launch of its updated SenseNova large language model (LLM) that the firm claims to be on par with OpenAI’s GPT-4 Turbo model. SenseTime, which has its global headquarters at the Hong Kong Science Park, suspended trading at 11:15am on Wednesday – pending “the release of an announcement which may constitute inside... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3260203/chinese-ai-giant-sensetime-suspends-trading-shares-surge-more-30-after-launch-updated-large-language?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3260203/chinese-ai-giant-sensetime-suspends-trading-shares-surge-more-30-after-launch-updated-large-language?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Apr 2024 10:30:17 +0000 Chinese Premier Li Qiang was among the top Chinese leaders who paid tribute at a memorial on Tuesday to Tang Xiao’ou, a leading expert on facial recognition, and the mastermind behind the US-sanctioned artificial intelligence giant SenseTime. The ceremony for Tang, who died on Friday from an undisclosed illness at the age of 55, featured an unusually high-profile list of mourners for a private citizen in China. Li and Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang, both members of the seven-member Politburo... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3245786/chinas-premier-among-top-officials-pay-tribute-late-ai-visionary-tang-xiaoou?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3245786/chinas-premier-among-top-officials-pay-tribute-late-ai-visionary-tang-xiaoou?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Dec 2023 14:00:09 +0000 Rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI) are boosting online disinformation and enabling governments to increase censorship and surveillance in a growing threat to human rights, a US non-profit organisation said in a report published on Wednesday. Global internet freedom declined for the 13th consecutive year, with China, Myanmar and Iran having the worst conditions of the 70 countries surveyed by the Freedom on the Net report, which highlighted the risks posed by easy access to generative... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3236756/ai-advances-supercharge-online-disinformation-censorship-and-surveillance-growing-threat-human?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3236756/ai-advances-supercharge-online-disinformation-censorship-and-surveillance-growing-threat-human?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Oct 2023 08:17:33 +0000 The United Arab Emirates’ economy minister is to meet Hong Kong artificial intelligence start-up SenseTime and other cutting edge firms as the Gulf state turns to advanced technologies to diversify and achieve an ambitious economic growth target. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, in Hong Kong to attend the Belt and Road Summit, told the Post on Wednesday that one of the focuses for his visit was to meet small tech firms at the two city start-up accelerators to broaden the UAE’s oil-based... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3234425/uae-economy-minister-hold-talks-hong-kong-hi-tech-ai-company-sensetime-gulf-state-seeks-diversify?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3234425/uae-economy-minister-hold-talks-hong-kong-hi-tech-ai-company-sensetime-gulf-state-seeks-diversify?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Sep 2023 12:10:29 +0000 Elon Musk said Thursday that his social network X, formerly known as Twitter, will give users the ability to make voice and video calls on the platform. Musk, who has a history of making proclamations about coming features and policies that have not always come to fruition, did not say when the features would be available to users. The company also updated its privacy policies that will allow for the collection of biometric data and employment history, among other information. Musk posted on the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3233058/elon-musk-says-x-formerly-twitter-will-have-voice-and-video-calls-updates-privacy-policy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3233058/elon-musk-says-x-formerly-twitter-will-have-voice-and-video-calls-updates-privacy-policy?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Sep 2023 05:16:27 +0000 China plans to tighten the rules on facial recognition technology while giving the green light to its use for national security purposes, including analysis of personal data on race and religious beliefs. The Cyberspace Administration of China launched a month-long public consultation on the draft rules on Tuesday. The internet regulator said the rules aimed to regulate the technology and uphold “individual legitimate rights” as well as “social order and public safety”. The draft rules forbid... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3230401/china-tighten-rules-use-facial-recognition-technology?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3230401/china-tighten-rules-use-facial-recognition-technology?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Aug 2023 11:09:26 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier The abating Covid-19 pandemic could result in up to 2,000 North Koreans being sent back to their country from China to face imprisonment or worse, US lawmakers heard in testimony on Tuesday. The experts who spoke urged the international community to pressure China and the United Nations to prevent their return. Witnesses told the Congressional-Executive Commission on China that the pandemic – along with China’s increasingly sophisticated security systems – has darkened the outlook for North... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3223995/north-koreans-who-fled-china-may-be-sent-back-harsh-fate-us-panel-hears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3223995/north-koreans-who-fled-china-may-be-sent-back-harsh-fate-us-panel-hears?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Jun 2023 21:37:41 +0000 The world is racing to use technology to achieve ever-greater convenience – with no final destination in sight. Take subway tickets in Beijing, for example. Passengers 20 years ago had to line up at counters to obtain paper tickets, which they then handed to staff at the gates to enter train platforms. Last month, a subway line linking downtown Beijing with Daxing International Airport debuted a new feature allowing passengers to enter and exit stations by scanning their palms. All around the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/article/3223945/technological-race-greater-convenience-we-must-not-leave-privacy-dust?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/article/3223945/technological-race-greater-convenience-we-must-not-leave-privacy-dust?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Jun 2023 10:37:57 +0000 In Singapore’s prisons, CCTV cameras in the cells watch over inmates, facial recognition is used for headcount checks, and an artificial intelligence-based behaviour detection system monitors for fights and other suspicious activities. “Sometimes, the facial recognition cameras would turn on at odd times, without warning. Or the behaviour detection would alert the guards if people were just exercising in the cell,” said Tan, 26, a former inmate, who asked to go by his last name. “I was arrested... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3211068/being-fishbowl-spotlight-singapores-prisons-over-facial-recognition-technology?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3211068/being-fishbowl-spotlight-singapores-prisons-over-facial-recognition-technology?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Feb 2023 07:31:48 +0000 Several Chinese graduate students have invented a plain-looking, low-cost coat that can hide the human body, day or night, from security cameras monitored by AI, according to the team. The InvisDefense coat can be seen by human eyes but is covered in a pattern that blinds cameras in the day and sends out unusual heat signals at night, according to the team. Their work won first prize in a creative work contest on November 27 sponsored by Huawei Technologies Co as part of the China Postgraduate... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3202087/chinese-graduate-students-invent-invisibility-cloak-can-slip-past-security-cameras-and-recognition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3202087/chinese-graduate-students-invent-invisibility-cloak-can-slip-past-security-cameras-and-recognition?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Dec 2022 07:00:19 +0000 As guests arrive at eastern Australia’s Warilla Hotel, a small camera equipped with facial recognition software scans their faces as part of a scheme to tackle problem gambling. The tech – which uses artificial intelligence (AI) to identify addicts who have asked to be barred from betting sites – is set to be rolled out across gambling venues in the state of New South Wales next year. Supporters say it will help curb problem gambling in a country where the addiction affects about 1 per cent of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3198521/australia-bets-facial-recognition-deter-problem-gamblers-despite-concerns-over-rights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3198521/australia-bets-facial-recognition-deter-problem-gamblers-despite-concerns-over-rights?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Nov 2022 21:00:15 +0000 Megvii Technology, one of the world’s foremost facial-recognition system developers, is conducting a fresh round of lay-offs at multiple departments, according to two people briefed on the matter, signalling difficulties in China’s artificial intelligence (AI) industry amid heightened tensions between Beijing and Washington. Workers affected by the dismissals, which started this month, have each been offered a compensation package based on the number of years served in the company plus a month’s... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3197224/us-blacklisted-chinese-ai-giant-megvii-said-carry-out-fresh-lay-offs-amid-escalating-tech-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3197224/us-blacklisted-chinese-ai-giant-megvii-said-carry-out-fresh-lay-offs-amid-escalating-tech-war?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Oct 2022 13:00:15 +0000 The Biden administration unveiled a set of far-reaching goals Tuesday aimed at averting harms caused by the rise of artificial intelligence systems, including guidelines for how to protect people’s personal data and limit surveillance. The Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights notably does not set out specific enforcement actions, but instead is intended as a White House call to action for the US government to safeguard digital and civil rights in an AI-fuelled world, officials said. “This is the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3194851/us-unveils-artificial-intelligence-bill-rights-safeguard-civil-rights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3194851/us-unveils-artificial-intelligence-bill-rights-safeguard-civil-rights?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Oct 2022 03:45:08 +0000 In 2020, six out of 10 Chinese children played video games, but by 2022, only four in 10 children are doing so, thanks to Beijing’s rigid online game time limit for minors, according to a new report published by market research firm Niko Partners. Gamers aged between six and 17 totalled 83 million in China this year, down from 122 million two years ago, analysts found. Chinese authorities issued a new rule last August, which came into effect in September, restricting play time for gamers aged... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3188770/chinas-young-video-gamers-deterred-beijings-harsh-rules-loopholes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3188770/chinas-young-video-gamers-deterred-beijings-harsh-rules-loopholes?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Aug 2022 03:00:15 +0000 Shoppers at a supermarket chain in southern England are being tracked by facial recognition cameras, prompting a legal complaint by a privacy rights group. Big Brother Watch said Southern Co-operative’s use of biometric scans in 35 stores across Portsmouth, Bournemouth, Bristol, Brighton and Hove, Chichester, Southampton, and London was “Orwellian in the extreme” and urged Britain’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) to investigate whether it breaches data protection legislation. The... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3186701/orwellian-facial-recognition-surveillance-cameras-uks-southern-co?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3186701/orwellian-facial-recognition-surveillance-cameras-uks-southern-co?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Jul 2022 02:10:39 +0000 At a time when the US and China are divided on everything from economics to human rights, artificial intelligence is still a point of particular friction. With the potential to revolutionise everything from food production and healthcare to financial markets and surveillance, it’s a technology that sparks both optimism and paranoia. One of the field’s most influential figures is Andrew Chi-Chih Yao, whose education and professional life have straddled the world’s two biggest economies.... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3186448/chinas-ai-ambitions-are-being-propelled-75-year-old-harvard-grad-andrew?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3186448/chinas-ai-ambitions-are-being-propelled-75-year-old-harvard-grad-andrew?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Jul 2022 03:31:08 +0000 For years, Xu Li toiled with millions of lines of computer codes to establish an artificial intelligence (AI) system to empower manufacturing, enhance surveillance and enrich social matrix. Then in October 2019, Donald Trump’s administration dropped a bomb on Xu, chief executive of SenseTime, naming his company as an enabler of human rights abuses against Muslim Uygurs in western China’s Xinjiang region. Then last December, the US banned American funds from investing in SenseTime, in an... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3186219/sensetime-defied-us-sanction-raise-capital-hong-kong-where?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3186219/sensetime-defied-us-sanction-raise-capital-hong-kong-where?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 Jul 2022 02:00:11 +0000 Christian Hammack stands outside city hall and surveys his kingdom – cars at rest. The Redwood City parking manager has spent years helping transform this California city of 84,000 people near San Francisco into a model of smart city technology. Parking, however smart, may seem dull. But Redwood City’s hi-tech system is helping revitalise the downtown area, increase business and tax revenue and reduce congestion, pollution and accidents, even as powerful smart city tools raise concerns. Loosely... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3183374/us-smart-city-tech-highlights-contrasts-china-over-privacy-and-control?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3183374/us-smart-city-tech-highlights-contrasts-china-over-privacy-and-control?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Jun 2022 21:58:52 +0000 A smart vending machine operator backed by Chinese fintech giant Ant Group has filed a draft prospectus for an initial public offering in Hong Kong after it failed to list on the mainland’s A-shares market. According to the prospectus, 16.68 per cent of Beijing Ubox Online Technology Corp, which recorded over US$204 million in total losses in 2020 and 2021, is owned by Shanghai Yunxin Venture Capital, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ant Group. Ant is an affiliate of Alibaba Group Holding, owner of... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3180036/ant-group-backed-smart-vending-machine-start-ubox-seeks-hong-kong-ipo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3180036/ant-group-backed-smart-vending-machine-start-ubox-seeks-hong-kong-ipo?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Jun 2022 11:00:11 +0000 Facial recognition is making a comeback in the United States as bans to thwart the technology and curb racial bias in policing come under threat amid a surge in crime and increased lobbying from developers. Virginia in July will eliminate its prohibition on local police use of facial recognition a year after approving it, and California and the city of New Orleans as soon as this month could be next to hit the undo button. Homicide reports in New Orleans rose 67 per cent over the last two years... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3177578/facial-recognition-bans-become-less-palatable-amid-surging-crime-rates?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3177578/facial-recognition-bans-become-less-palatable-amid-surging-crime-rates?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 May 2022 04:00:26 +0000 Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) company DeepGlint, which once targeted a US$300 billion valuation, made its trading debut in Shanghai on Thursday, but quickly saw its share price decline amid the rout in tech stocks this week. Shares of DeepGlint, which was added to the US government’s trade blacklist in July last year, was down 12 per cent over the past two days, heightening investor concerns about the potential of China’s AI industry. It recorded a market capitalisation of US$1 billion. A... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3171056/sanctions-hit-chinese-facial-recognition-firm-deepglint-muted?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3171056/sanctions-hit-chinese-facial-recognition-firm-deepglint-muted?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Mar 2022 23:00:15 +0000 Multiple delegates at this year’s “two sessions”, China’s largest annual political gathering, have suggested the government tighten its control over video games to keep minors away from such content, signalling that there is little political appetite for pushing to ease restrictions on the industry. The National People’s Congress (NPC) and Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the two bodies currently meeting in Beijing, are not directly involved in policymaking for the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3169583/two-sessions-2022-chinas-video-game-crackdown-shows-no-signs-easing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3169583/two-sessions-2022-chinas-video-game-crackdown-shows-no-signs-easing?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Mar 2022 14:00:22 +0000 SenseTime, the Hong Kong-based software company that runs the world’s largest artificial intelligence (AI) platform, is moving further beyond facial recognition systems by applying its technology to the car components manufacturing sector. The company, which went public in Hong Kong last December, said in a statement on Monday that it has launched an AI-enabled automated engine defect detection system with SenseSpring – its proprietary industrial quality inspection training platform – for use by... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3167021/artificial-intelligence-giant-sensetime-moves-further-beyond-facial?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3167021/artificial-intelligence-giant-sensetime-moves-further-beyond-facial?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Feb 2022 13:30:17 +0000 US President Joe Biden’s administration imposed economic sanctions on the Chinese artificial intelligence company SenseTime Group and two senior government officials in far-west Xinjiang over alleged human rights abuses in the region, the Treasury Department announced on Friday. The move has reportedly disrupted the company’s plans to sell shares in an initial public offering after it was trimmed by about half earlier this week. “Treasury is using its tools to expose and hold accountable... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3159297/biden-administration-sanctions-chinese-ai-company-sensetime-citing-human?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3159297/biden-administration-sanctions-chinese-ai-company-sensetime-citing-human?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Dec 2021 17:53:19 +0000 The world’s first international ethics guidelines for artificial intelligence, which ban the technology’s use for “social scoring or mass surveillance purposes”, have been adopted by a United Nations specialised agency that AI powerhouses the United States and Israel withdrew from in 2018. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco), which has 193 member states and is widely credited for protecting landmarks known as World Heritage Sites, said the guidelines... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3157378/un-agency-pushes-global-ai-ethics-norm-bans-use-technology-social?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3157378/un-agency-pushes-global-ai-ethics-norm-bans-use-technology-social?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Nov 2021 15:00:28 +0000 A farm in eastern China is developing a new facial recognition system — not for its staff, but for its goats. The Shanghai-based Vert City Farm has been working on the system since 2019 and is expected to put it into use next year, using security cameras installed on the farm to watch over the goats, according to an article from the Shanghai Chongming district government website. Huang Zhen, the chairman of the farm’s board, told local news portal The Paper that the cameras are designed to... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3155682/chinese-farm-developing-facial-recognition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3155682/chinese-farm-developing-facial-recognition?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Nov 2021 10:06:18 +0000 Scandal-hit Facebook is shutting down its long-criticised facial recognition system and deleting scan data on a billion people, it said Tuesday, in a shock response to privacy concerns. The announcement came as the tech giant battles one of its worst crises ever, with reams of internal documents leaked to reporters, lawmakers and US regulators fuelling fresh calls for government regulation. This policy change shuts down a feature that automatically identified people who appeared in Facebook... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3154637/facebook-ends-facial-recognition-over-privacy-fears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3154637/facebook-ends-facial-recognition-over-privacy-fears?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Nov 2021 23:31:02 +0000 Some of the world’s biggest academic publishers are investigating research papers containing genetic or facial information on minorities amid allegations of ethical violations in the gathering of the data. Much of the research in question stems from China. Concern about such profiling of marginalised groups has led to calls for the retraction of published research papers from China. In at least one case, several scientists on the board of a major US publishing house resigned over the issue. Yves... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3148333/chinas-genetic-profiling-research-faces-pushback-academic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3148333/chinas-genetic-profiling-research-faces-pushback-academic?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Sep 2021 04:00:21 +0000 SenseTime Group, China’s largest artificial intelligence (AI) company, filed to go public in Hong Kong on Friday in one of the biggest technology offerings since Beijing cracked down on the country’s tech sector last month, a move that has unnerved investors from Hong Kong to New York. The Hong Kong-based start-up, known for its facial-recognition software, is looking to raise at least US$2 billion in its initial public offering (IPO), according to a person familiar with the matter. SenseTime... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3146708/sensetime-artificial-intelligence-platform-founded-cuhk?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3146708/sensetime-artificial-intelligence-platform-founded-cuhk?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Aug 2021 16:15:31 +0000 Could artificial intelligence, drones, and solar-powered trackers aid in efforts to conserve Australia’s beloved koala? That is the hope of university researchers in Australia’s northernmost state of Queensland, as they undertake two innovative projects that use hi-tech solutions to protect koalas against the threats of vehicle collisions and bush fires. A team of researchers at Queensland’s Griffith University are using artificial intelligence and facial recognition technology to analyse how... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3145931/australia-eyes-ai-drones-facial-recognition-tech-protect-wild?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3145931/australia-eyes-ai-drones-facial-recognition-tech-protect-wild?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Aug 2021 05:10:58 +0000 China’s top court has made a key judgment related to facial recognition technology, empowering individuals to reject unauthorised facial recognition data collection by commercial entities such as hotels, banks and nightclubs. The decision, which is included in a directive issued to local courts this week by the People’s Supreme Court, makes it clear that any collection and analysis of facial data by commercial operations must receive the “independent” consent of the individual concerned. If not,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3143023/you-have-choice-chinas-top-court-empowers-people-say-no-facial?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3143023/you-have-choice-chinas-top-court-empowers-people-say-no-facial?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Jul 2021 15:00:11 +0000 China’s southern tech hub Shenzhen is discussing a law to regulate the scope of surveillance camera installations in public areas and the management of captured footage, making it the first region to address the issue in a country where facial recognition-enabled cameras are widely used. Surveillance cameras in areas such as hotel rooms, hospital wards, dormitories, public bathrooms, and fitting rooms will be banned when the law passes, according to the latest draft of the law released for... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3139344/chinas-tech-hub-shenzhen-looks-restrict-surveillance-cameras-public?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3139344/chinas-tech-hub-shenzhen-looks-restrict-surveillance-cameras-public?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Jun 2021 17:00:18 +0000 For two and a half centuries, international technology standards have been an engine for wealth creation and dominance largely belonging to the West. However, this is now changing. China is quickly stepping up, creating a new kind of competition – no longer about technological superiority – but about rule making and system design. Standards define technology and technology defines the modern world. It allows companies and nations to earn substantial returns through market dominance and... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3134216/china-standards-2035-how-china-plans-win-future-its-own?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3134216/china-standards-2035-how-china-plans-win-future-its-own?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 May 2021 20:00:23 +0000 After China’s annual Consumer Protection Gala in March singled out companies for the misuse of facial recognition, several cities in China are tightening the enforcement of related regulations, as the technology has become widely used for such things as dispensing toilet paper and collecting garbage. In the city of Ningbo in eastern Zhejiang province, the local market regulator recently fined three property firms for “illegally acquiring customers’ facial information”. The companies, local... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3131442/increasing-use-facial-recognition-technology-china-faces-backlash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3131442/increasing-use-facial-recognition-technology-china-faces-backlash?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Apr 2021 15:55:13 +0000 A court in Hangzhou made its final judgment in China’s first-ever lawsuit over the use of facial recognition after both parties filed for appeal, upholding its original judgment and ordering additional data to be deleted. In late 2019, Hangzhou Safari Park replaced its fingerprint-based admission system with one that uses facial recognition, telling customers that they would be refused entry if they did not use the new system. Guo Bing, an associate professor of law at the Zhejiang Sci-Tech... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3129226/chinas-first-facial-recognition-lawsuit-comes-end-new-ruling-and-new?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3129226/chinas-first-facial-recognition-lawsuit-comes-end-new-ruling-and-new?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Apr 2021 13:30:12 +0000 Fans of James Bond will be familiar with scenes showing the British spy sauntering into a hotel room, before looking around and using a handheld counter-intelligence device to sweep for bugs and hidden cameras. Well, given the scale and multitude of privacy violations in China these days, it’s smart to be as alert as Bond. If possible, arm yourself with a bug detector next time you plan to check into a hotel or Airbnb, visit a changing room or have a massage – chances are high that you might... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3128985/china-has-privacy-problem-new-data-laws-could-help-curb-worst?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3128985/china-has-privacy-problem-new-data-laws-could-help-curb-worst?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Apr 2021 01:30:19 +0000 Identity verification using facial recognition is widely adopted in China, as the technology has become an integral part of apps from mobile payments and travel to retail, as well as surveillance systems and online platforms for government services. That development, however, has made cybersecurity a major issue in the world’s second-largest economy, where a group of tax scammers has been caught hacking a government-run facial recognition system to fake tax invoices and make millions of yuan in... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3127645/chinese-government-run-facial-recognition-system-hacked-tax?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3127645/chinese-government-run-facial-recognition-system-hacked-tax?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Mar 2021 23:00:22 +0000 Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt called on the US government to fast track development of emerging technology including artificial intelligence (AI) to catch up to China’s lead. The United States is “one or two years ahead of China, not five or 10” and “the Chinese are well ahead in areas like face recognition,” said Schmidt at a Tuesday hearing held by the Senate Armed Services Committee on emerging technologies and their impact on national security. “Because of the diffusion of the technology,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3122857/us-china-tech-war-former-google-ceo-eric-schmidt-stresses-urgency?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3122857/us-china-tech-war-former-google-ceo-eric-schmidt-stresses-urgency?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Feb 2021 19:20:02 +0000