National Interest (July 3) in an article on China's A.I., said that under General Secretary Xi Jinping, China has invested heavily in AI-related technologies, making it a core focus for the modernization of Chinese industry. This effort underpins Beijing’s “Made in China 2025” initiative. It said China’s AI market is now estimated to be worth around $3.5 billion, and Beijing has set a goal by 2030 of a one trillion yuan AI market ($142 billion). The government has pledged the equivalent of $2.1 billion to build an AI industrial park outside Beijing, among other major investments. Leading the effort is Huawei, which has established AI research laboratories in London and Singapore, unveiled a new generation of “AI processor” chips, and laid out an “all scenario” AI strategy. The article pointed out that much of China’s spending is directed towards facial and voice recognition technologies like those of Megvii and SenseTime, along with natural language processing. The focus on these particular technologies uses China’s facility in applied mathematics and AI, whether honed in America or at home, to create a digital surveillance state that is unrivalled in history. For example, a new law requires all individuals registering new mobile phone numbers to have a facial scan.
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