China using Artificial Intelligence to target minority Uyghur community

Washington/Beijing: Only a few months ago, the President of Microsoft, a leading information technology company had warned that ‘Facial recognition technology can be major encroachment on the fundamental freedom and massive scale surveillance can be carried out using the technology.’ In a shocking revelation, the technology is being implemented by China, which is trying to take the lead over the western countries in all the technology sectors including Artificial Intelligence. China has deployed the Facial Recognition technology to carry out surveillance on the Uyghur Minority community in the country.

A leading US daily published a report on it, and the report says that facial recognition was used 500,000 times, in one of the Chinese cities by a local government agency. The international community had showered severe criticism on the Chinese government, for detaining 1.1 million Uyghur people, in internment camps, in the Xinjiang province. The United States had warned that the issue, regarding the Uyghurs, could be a reason for the deterioration of the US-China relations. Despite the warning, the Chinese government is seen to be recklessly using advanced technology, against its citizens.

The Chinese government looks upon the Uyghurs and other Islamic people, as traitors. China has increased the military deployment tremendously in the Xinjiang and nearby provinces, to keep a strict vigil on their activities and activated CCTV cameras and other security systems. After that, it was exposed that the ruling government has deployed a whopping 1.1 million secret agents, in the region.

China has always forwarded the reason for counter-terrorism campaign and security, to justify its actions. Despite the criticism, the Chinese government has resorted to using advanced technology to carry out direct surveillance, across the country.

The action against the Uyghurs was exposed through the local sources in China, various documents and interviews. The information regarding the Uyghurs is collected based on their dressing style and facial structure. Also, the information has been fed in the security networks around the country and was put to large-scale use with the help of cameras and technology.

Shocking reports have surfaced, and the security agencies can keep a watch on them in any corner of the country.

The report in the US daily, only exposes the intent of the Chinese government to have used the advanced technology for ethnic hatred as warned by the Microsoft President. Moreover, Microsoft President Brad Smith had mentioned cameras covering every part of the country, immense computing power and cloud storage, while issuing the warning. At the same time, he had added that it could not be said, that it would not happen.