Facial recognition technologies have increasingly and rapidly become part of the cultural mainstream in almost all countries across the globe. The history of facial recognition can be traced back to the 1970s when it was first developed before experiencing rapid development and advancement. Facial recognition mainly involves the use of biometrics to identify and authenticate a person through the use of recognizable and verifiable data that are unique to a given person. Facial recognition system mainly uses 2D or 3D sensors to capture a face before being transferred to digital data through the use of algorithms. The automated system makes it possible to recognize the face of an individual within seconds. Even though law enforcement agencies mainly use facial recognition technologies, it is also being utilized by even private companies to gain a competitive advantage in the market. For instance, Facebook is now using artificial intelligence (AI) powered facial recognition to improve its social networking platforms (Jacobs, 2018). Owners of iPhone X have also introduced facial recognition technology to improve the quality of its products and services.
China took the use of facial recognition technology a notch higher when it aggressively started using the technology to enhance its surveillance. Lately, China has invested heavily in surveillance network, making the leading market for facial recognition and video surveillance marker across the globe. It is estimated that the country spends about $6.4 in video surveillance in 2016 alone and it now has more than 170 million surveillance cameras, which are expected to reach 400 million in a few years to come (Jacobs, 2018). The aim of the Chinese government is to facial recognition surveillance technologies to track and monitor its 1.4 billion citizens across the country (Jacobs, 2018). To achieve its surveillance goals and objectives, China is partnering with private companies like Megvii that have the capacity and ability to develop advanced AI technologies. The country has started implementing its facial recognition surveillance, and it is determined to have an omnipresent digital surveillance system by 2020 (Jacobs, 2018).
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The use of racial recognition in China is characterized by many trends whose history can be traced back to the era of Mao Zedong when social service units acted as spies for the government (Feng & Lucas, 2018). The old surveillance system in China was based on communal self-policing. However, currently, companies in China are developing sophisticated and highly effective face recognition technologies that improve public surveillance significantly. The aggressive research and heavy investment in facial recognition technologies are one of the main trends that are being witnessed in China currently. A significant number of companies and research institutions are now dedicated to developing effective and powerful facial recognition systems and software that can help in improving surveillance. Megvii, for instance, invested a lot of resources to develop Face++, which is now used by more than 300,000 developers to come up with their facial recognition technologies or software ( Barrette, 2018) . The Chinese University of Hong Kong, on the other hand, collaborated with researchers to establish Sense Time, which is now one of the leading companies in the world in the AI field. Thus, the research and investment in AI and facial recognition technologies is increasing in China, and private sectors and public learning institutions mainly facilitate the trend.
Public-private partnership (PPP) in the implementation of face recognition surveillance is another emerging trend in the area. The Chinese government is now relying on PPP to implement its digital surveillance. For instance, the Chinese government partnered with Megvii to launch its Skynet program in 2005 ( Barrette, 2018) . Megvii helped the government to mount millions of CCTV cameras in various parts of the country. Currently, the same company is helping the government use AI-enhanced cameras to improve the success of its face recognition surveillance initiative. PPP is not only helping the government to execute its digital surveillance, but it also avails resources to private companies to continue investing in AI technologies ( Barrette, 2018) . Consequently, China is likely to continue experiencing rapid advancement in its face recognition surveillance technologies.
Also, the use of bird-like drones is increasingly becoming common in China. Traditionally, large screens have been used to execute face recognition surveillance. As a result, people could easily tell when cameras were watching them. Thus, to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of face recognition surveillance, the Chinese government is now using the drone-like doves as cameras (Jiaquan, 2018). They can replicate the movement of natural birds, making it hard for people to detect when they are being watched through surveillance cameras. With the increased advancement in AI technologies, the face recognition surveillance cameras program in China is likely to be successful.
However, several challenges are likely to be encountered during the implementation of such programs. First, to implement face recognition surveillance program, the Chinese government is forced to spend a lot of money on purchasing the systems, which are always expensive. For instance, to implement the surveillance projects, the government was forced to spend about $1 billion, which was awarded to Hikvision and Dahua in the form of tenders (Doffman, 2018). The money was only spent on Xinjiang surveillance project alone without incorporating other parts of the country. Hence, it is possible for the government to face financial constraints when implementing the programs. Secondly, face recognition surveillance invades the privacy of Chinese people. Culturally, Chinese people value their privacy, and they are likely to resist any form of public surveillance. To avoid the possibility of resisting face recognition programs that are being executed by the government, the Chinese government is now using hidden cameras, especially in the form of drone-like doves or birds. Also, the government is forced to train a large number of law-enforcement personnel to effectively and successfully implement its surveillance programs (Doffman, 2018). The officers must be retrained on how to use facial recognition technologies, which may require a lot of money and time.
Besides, the implementation of the face recognition surveillance in China is facing a lot of resistance from the human right activists because of the possibility of being misused to violate human rights and freedom. For example, China is currently being accused of using AI technologies to profile minority groups. Specifically, China is facing international condemnation for using face recognition surveillance technologies Uighurs, one of the largest Muslim minority communities in the country (Mozur, 2019). According to Mozur (2019), the country is condemned for using AI technologies to practice automated racism. Therefore, the implementation of face recognition surveillance programs is likely to face stiff resistance from human rights activists and movements.
Nonetheless, the implementation of the program comes with many opportunities not only to the government but also to businesses and consumers. It has improved the security and safety of Chinese people significantly. Megvii, for example, claims that its face recognition technology has helped Guangzhou police in the successful identification of at least 2,000 criminal suspects, leading to the arrest of 800 people ( Barrette, 2018) . Besides, the program has been used to solve about 100 cases successfully ( Barrette, 2018) . Consequently, consumers are mainly benefiting through improved security and safety in the country. Security is an important factor for the socio-economic wellbeing of the people.
At the same time, face recognition surveillance programs are benefiting many information technologies (IT) companies or businesses across the country. For instance, Dahau and Hikvision companies received a tender of $1 billion to help the government in implementing the program (Doffman, 2018). Besides, companies like Megvii and Sense Time are also the major beneficiaries of the program because they are actively involved in its execution. An increase in security spending in China is benefiting many companies in the region and the world at large. For instance, in 2017, the government spent about $9.16 billion in security alone (Feng & Lucas, 2018). Many IT businesses are now enjoying stability because of the face recognition surveillance that is being implemented by the Chinese government.
In conclusion, the implementation of face recognition surveillance program in China is on course despite some challenges. The government has realized the importance of benefits of such programs, especially in terms of boosting local security and it is determined to implement the program. PPP is also boosting the success of the program because it allows the country to access and utilize the latest AI technologies. However, to enhance the success of such programs, the government should minimize the possibility of being misused by law enforcement officers and the ruling class to maintain the status quo.
References
Jacobs, H. (2018, July 15). China's 'Big Brother' surveillance technology isn't nearly as all-seeing as the government wants you to think. Business Insider . Retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.com/china-facial-recognition-limitations-2018-7?IR=T
Feng, E. & Lucas, L. (2018, July 20). Inside China’s surveillance state. Financial Times . Retrieved from https://www.ft.com/content/2182eebe-8a17-11e8-bf9e-8771d5404543
Jiaquan, Z. (2018, August 4). Drones, facial recognition and a social credit system: 10 ways China watches its citizens. South China Morning Post . Retrieved from https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2157883/drones-facial-recognition- and-social-credit-system-10-ways-china
Barrette, E. (2018, October 28). In China, Facial Recognition Tech Is Watching You. Fortune . Retrieved from http://fortune.com/2018/10/28/in-china-facial-recognition-tech-is- watching-you/
Doffman, (2018, October 28). Why We Should Fear China's Emerging High-Tech Surveillance State. Fortune . Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/2018/10/28/why-we-should-fear-chinas- emerging-high-tech-surveillance-state/#1208a6984c36
Mozur, P. (2019, April 14). One Month, 500,000 Face Scans: How China Is Using A.I. to Profile a Minority. The New York Times . Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/14/technology/china-surveillance-artificial- intelligence-racial-profiling.html?fbclid=IwAR2c8- laGYl5QYuH4db4NSEHLsezjSICgoiLX634nWjKtKbkXlWtS-llKI0
