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from the train-an-anti-AI-to-counter-their-AI dept.
Deep Learning 'Godfather' Bengio Worries About China's Use of AI
Yoshua Bengio, a Canadian computer scientist who helped pioneer the techniques underpinning much of the current excitement around artificial intelligence, is worried about China's use of AI for surveillance and political control.
Bengio, who is also a co-founder of Montreal-based AI software company Element AI, said he was concerned about the technology he helped create being used for controlling people's behavior and influencing their minds.
"This is the 1984 Big Brother scenario," he said in an interview. "I think it's becoming more and more scary."
[...] The Chinese government has begun using closed circuit video cameras and facial recognition to monitor what its citizens do in public, from jaywalking to engaging in political dissent. It's also created a National Credit Information Sharing Platform, which is being used to blacklist rail and air passengers for "anti-social" behavior and is considering expanding uses of this system to other situations.
"The use of your face to track you should be highly regulated," Bengio said.
Bengio is not alone in his concern over China's use-cases for AI. Billionaire George Soros recently used a speech at the World Economic Forum on Jan. 24, to highlight the risks the country's use of AI poses to civil liberties and minority rights.
Also at Futurism.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 04 2019, @11:02PM (6 children)
The last few years I have convinced me otherwise.
(Score: 2) by PartTimeZombie on Monday February 04 2019, @11:30PM (5 children)
Why? The Chinese government cares nothing for you.
If you want to travel to their country as a tourist, they will be more than happy to take your money, and will show you a good time.
If they want to try to control their population using AI they're just using a different method than the governments we all live under.
My own government uses propaganda (poorly in my opinion) as do the massively profitable global corporations that control the economy.
The difference between us and the Chinese is that propaganda works pretty well, and I'm not sure that AI does yet.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 05 2019, @12:01AM
It's the principle of the thing, sir!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdpemlyYJ9M [youtube.com]
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 05 2019, @01:01AM (3 children)
That is, unless they feel like retaliating against your country for arresting a high-level executive of one of their companies for allegedly violating trade sanctions. [soylentnews.org]
Then your visit becomes a one-way trip and you become a pawn in the game of geopolitics.
(Score: 2) by PartTimeZombie on Tuesday February 05 2019, @01:03AM (2 children)
If the A/C is a former diplomat or high-ranking executive then my comment does not stand.
I don't think A/C is either of those things, do you?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 05 2019, @01:37AM (1 child)
HEY! I'm a unique crystal in human form. If the Chinese knew what I could show them you bet your ass (or brainz?) they'd be trying to woo me over there.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 05 2019, @02:37AM
Crystal != Snowflake