Muslim men arrive at the Id Kah Mosque for the morning prayer on Eid al-Fitr in the old town of Kashgar in China's Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, June 26, 2017. (Johannes Eisele/AFP/Getty Images)
Tight control of civilian populations is the cardinal rule of
authoritarian regimes,
yet
the sheer scale and complexity of those populations makes
control difficult.
Now, artificial intelligence has made civilian surveillance
far easier, and
far more invasive.
AI is rapidly becoming the new best friend of
dictators everywhere.
authoritarian regimes,
yet
the sheer scale and complexity of those populations makes
control difficult.
Now, artificial intelligence has made civilian surveillance
far easier, and
far more invasive.
AI is rapidly becoming the new best friend of
dictators everywhere.
The most sweeping and stifling surveillance program i
n human
history is being
employed against the mostly Muslim Uighur
minority in
northwestern China.
A million Uighurs, about 10 percent of their
total population, are
held captive in what Chinese authorities call
“reeducation and training”
camps.
Uighurs have been sent to the camps for a wide variety o
f infractions,
including
for religious practices such as reading the Koran or being
caught with
religious
content on their phones.
n human
history is being
employed against the mostly Muslim Uighur
minority in
northwestern China.
A million Uighurs, about 10 percent of their
total population, are
held captive in what Chinese authorities call
“reeducation and training”
camps.
Uighurs have been sent to the camps for a wide variety o
f infractions,
including
for religious practices such as reading the Koran or being
caught with
religious
content on their phones.
At the camps, Uighurs are required to listen to hours upon
hours of
Communist Party propaganda and engage in rigorous
self-criticism.
Reporting earlier this year in the Independent said
Uighur inmates
have allegedly “been tortured, forced to consume pork and
alcohol,
and ordered to renounce their religion.” Other Uighurs
allegedly have
“disappeared” into the camps.
hours of
Communist Party propaganda and engage in rigorous
self-criticism.
Reporting earlier this year in the Independent said
Uighur inmates
have allegedly “been tortured, forced to consume pork and
alcohol,
and ordered to renounce their religion.” Other Uighurs
allegedly have
“disappeared” into the camps.
One reason Uighurs have a surveillance crosshairs on their
collective foreheads
is simple sectarian violence. Over the past few decades, China has
been resettling
members of the majority Han race in Xinjiang. A province that
historically had
been mostly Uighur is now split 50-50 with Han. In turn, race riots
broke out
some years back, and people were killed.
collective foreheads
is simple sectarian violence. Over the past few decades, China has
been resettling
members of the majority Han race in Xinjiang. A province that
historically had
been mostly Uighur is now split 50-50 with Han. In turn, race riots
broke out
some years back, and people were killed.
But there is another, deeper answer. The Uighurs are
people of faith.
As such,
they are effectively citizens of two kingdoms.
They offer allegiance to
the government
but direct their ultimate devotion to God.
To the Chinese authorities,
such divided loyalties are necessarily a threat
to be dealt with harshly.
people of faith.
As such,
they are effectively citizens of two kingdoms.
They offer allegiance to
the government
but direct their ultimate devotion to God.
To the Chinese authorities,
such divided loyalties are necessarily a threat
to be dealt with harshly.
This has created a humanitarian crisis for the Uighurs.
But two factors make the
full implications far wider.
But two factors make the
full implications far wider.
First, AI, especially facial recognition, allows
authoritarian governments
to surveil target populations to an extent
previously unimaginable. This has
already effectively immobilized the Uighurs,
who are afraid to voice their true
thoughts even to their closest family members.
authoritarian governments
to surveil target populations to an extent
previously unimaginable. This has
already effectively immobilized the Uighurs,
who are afraid to voice their true
thoughts even to their closest family members.
The second factor is that all people of faith share the divided
loyalties that unnerve
Chinese and other totalitarians. In my Christian faith, for example,
the Bible teaches
that we are citizens of both an earthly and a heavenly kingdom.
As such, we are
commanded to obey earthly authorities, except when such
obedience conflicts
with our ultimate loyalty to God. Totalitarians find such
conditional allegiance
deeply alarming, whether from Christians,
Uighurs or any other faith community.
loyalties that unnerve
Chinese and other totalitarians. In my Christian faith, for example,
the Bible teaches
that we are citizens of both an earthly and a heavenly kingdom.
As such, we are
commanded to obey earthly authorities, except when such
obedience conflicts
with our ultimate loyalty to God. Totalitarians find such
conditional allegiance
deeply alarming, whether from Christians,
Uighurs or any other faith community.
Religious persecution in the country has often focused
on government officials’
treatment of Christians. And, not surprisingly, the automated
authoritarianism
of the Chinese government is being turned
against Christians as well.
In Beijing, officials recently banned the 1,500-member
Zion church after its
pastor refused to install surveillance cameras.
Hundreds of unofficial
“house churches” have been shuttered, including
one of the largest,
Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu, whose pastor,
Wang Yi,
and his wife, remain in prison. Other churches
have bowed
to the inevitable, accepting surveillance cameras
as a necessary
ccommodation to the authorities. The government
is working
on its own version of Scripture, appropriately
edited and annotated
to ensure a “politically correct interpretation.”
on government officials’
treatment of Christians. And, not surprisingly, the automated
authoritarianism
of the Chinese government is being turned
against Christians as well.
In Beijing, officials recently banned the 1,500-member
Zion church after its
pastor refused to install surveillance cameras.
Hundreds of unofficial
“house churches” have been shuttered, including
one of the largest,
Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu, whose pastor,
Wang Yi,
and his wife, remain in prison. Other churches
have bowed
to the inevitable, accepting surveillance cameras
as a necessary
ccommodation to the authorities. The government
is working
on its own version of Scripture, appropriately
edited and annotated
to ensure a “politically correct interpretation.”
“What happens in Xinjiang and what happens
to house churches is connected,” Eva Pils,
a professor of law at King’s College London,
who focuses on human
rights, told the Guardian.
to house churches is connected,” Eva Pils,
a professor of law at King’s College London,
who focuses on human
rights, told the Guardian.
“Ten years ago, we used to be able to say the
[Chinese Communist] party
was not really interested in what people believed internally,”
said Pils.
“[Chinese President] Xi Jinping’s response is much more
invasive and it
is in some ways returning to Mao-era attempts to contro
l hearts and minds.”
[Chinese Communist] party
was not really interested in what people believed internally,”
said Pils.
“[Chinese President] Xi Jinping’s response is much more
invasive and it
is in some ways returning to Mao-era attempts to contro
l hearts and minds.”
In large part, AI-powered surveillance is proving effective at
reshaping behavior.
In fact, AI technology has freed authoritarian governments
from narrowly focusing
on just their high-risk populations. After all, if behavior can be
shaped to match the
state’s wishes, why not exert that control over everyone?
reshaping behavior.
In fact, AI technology has freed authoritarian governments
from narrowly focusing
on just their high-risk populations. After all, if behavior can be
shaped to match the
state’s wishes, why not exert that control over everyone?
China is steadily progressing toward that goal. By 2020,
analysts estimatethe country will have installed nearly
300 million cameras, and police will be spending $30 billion
per year on surveillance technology.
analysts estimatethe country will have installed nearly
300 million cameras, and police will be spending $30 billion
per year on surveillance technology.
At a United Nations hearing in early May, Adrian Zenz,
a specialist on
Xinjiang, said: “We are really talking here about a humanitarian
emergency. . . .
This is a very targeted political reeducation effort that is seeking
to change the core identity and belief system of an entire people.
On that scale it’s pretty unprecedented.”
a specialist on
Xinjiang, said: “We are really talking here about a humanitarian
emergency. . . .
This is a very targeted political reeducation effort that is seeking
to change the core identity and belief system of an entire people.
On that scale it’s pretty unprecedented.”
Recently, reporters from the New York Times
visited Kashgar in Xinjiang province.
On the one hand,
they said, much of Kashgar is still an ancient city,
composed of mud
and stone and open-air markets. Camels, sheep and goats
mingle among
the motor scooters and automobiles. But you also have
“tremendously powerful facial recognition cameras
hanging from a
mud-brick wall, and there are cameras absolutely everywhere,”
the Times reported.
visited Kashgar in Xinjiang province.
On the one hand,
they said, much of Kashgar is still an ancient city,
composed of mud
and stone and open-air markets. Camels, sheep and goats
mingle among
the motor scooters and automobiles. But you also have
“tremendously powerful facial recognition cameras
hanging from a
mud-brick wall, and there are cameras absolutely everywhere,”
the Times reported.
Halmurat Harri, a Uighur activist now living in Finland,
described the psychological impact of this
pervasive surveillance,
ncluding near-constant police checks.
“You feel like you are underwater,” he told Wired. “
You cannot breathe. Every breath you take, you’re careful.”
described the psychological impact of this
pervasive surveillance,
ncluding near-constant police checks.
“You feel like you are underwater,” he told Wired. “
You cannot breathe. Every breath you take, you’re careful.”
Surveillance extends to the youngest Uighurs. “In the kindergarten,
they would ask little children, ‘Do your parents read the Koran?’ ”
one woman told reporters. “My daughter had a classmate who said,
‘My mom teaches me the Koran.’ The next day, they [were] gone.’”
they would ask little children, ‘Do your parents read the Koran?’ ”
one woman told reporters. “My daughter had a classmate who said,
‘My mom teaches me the Koran.’ The next day, they [were] gone.’”
Even Uighurs who have escaped to Turkey or to the United States live
under the long shadow of Chinese surveillance. Those who have dared
to speak about abuses back home have had family members in Xinjiang
threatened, imprisoned or disappear. As a result, most Uighurs have
stayed silent, even as the basics of human freedom and dignity have
been stripped away.
under the long shadow of Chinese surveillance. Those who have dared
to speak about abuses back home have had family members in Xinjiang
threatened, imprisoned or disappear. As a result, most Uighurs have
stayed silent, even as the basics of human freedom and dignity have
been stripped away.
Former president John F. Kennedy famously said in the face of an earlier
totalitarian threat that we are all citizens of Berlin. Now,
AI increasingly means we are all Uighurs.
totalitarian threat that we are all citizens of Berlin. Now,
AI increasingly means we are all Uighurs.
Tim Weinhold is the Chief Content Officer
(CCO) of AI and Faith, a multifaith
nonprofit focused on bringing the values
of the world’s great religions into the developing
discussion regarding ethical AI.
(CCO) of AI and Faith, a multifaith
nonprofit focused on bringing the values
of the world’s great religions into the developing
discussion regarding ethical AI.
