China Trying To Predict Crime With AI

Using a combination of facial recognition and AI, China is trying to build systems that can reliably predict who will engage in criminal behavior. The Financial Times reports authorities have already begun testing the technology. Cloud Walk, a company based in Guangzhou, uses facial recognition and also monitors where someone is going and at what time.

Based on that information, Cloud Walk determines how likely someone is to commit a crime. Different prior histories, purchases, and routes of travel can contribute to variable crime likelihood ratings. Cloud Walk already pulls from the police databases of 50 cities and provinces.

Technology of this sort could be easily implemented due to the widespread use of security cameras. China has around 176 million.

China has publicly acknowledged its interest in predicting crime and figuring out beforehand who will be an issue.

If we use our smart systems and smart facilities well, we can know beforehand...who might be a terrorist, who might do something bad, - Li Meng, vice minister of science and technology, China