China Boasts of 'Mind-reading' Artificial Intelligence that Supports 'AI-tocracy'

An artificial intelligence (AI) institute in Hefei, in China's Anhui province, says it has developed software that can gauge the loyalty of Communist Party members – something that, if true, would be considered a breakthrough, but has sparked public outcry. Analysts said China has improved its AI-powered surveillance, using big data, machine learning, facial recognition and AI to "get into the brains and minds of its people," building what many call a draconian digital dictatorship. The institute posted a video called "The Smart Political Education Bar," on July 1 to boast about its "mind-reading" software, which it said would be used on party members to "further solidify their determination to be grateful to the party, listen to the party and follow the party." In the video, a subject was seen scrolling through online material that promotes party policy at a kiosk, where the institute said its AI software was monitoring his reaction to see how attentive he was to the party's thought education. The post, however, was taken down shortly after sparking a public outcry among Chinese netizens.