A Chinese company, Geedge Networks, is developing artificial intelligence-powered technology to enable authoritarian governments to not only monitor dissidents but also predict who might become one in the future. This work, appearing to be in the research stage with its government-supported MESA Lab, aims to generate profiles of Chinese citizens by examining location data and internet use to highlight individuals posing a political risk.
Researchers at Vanderbilt University, including Brett J. Goldstein, director of the Wicked Problems Lab, describe this as a "nightmare scenario" where mass surveillance meets A.I., allowing states to act against citizens before public dissent begins. However, Geedge's progress appears hampered by Biden-era U.S. export controls on U.S.-designed computer chips. Leaked company documents from 2024 indicate the firm and its lab struggled to find enough components, suggesting U.S. restrictions may be slowing China’s development of next-generation surveillance technology.
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