AI could turn China’s social credit system into a surveillance tool, study warns

What happened

A Chinese study warns that introducing artificial intelligence (AI) into the nation’s existing social credit system could be a mistake. Published in the Journal of Sichuan Normal University, the study warns that this could turn the rating system into something more akin to a “large-scale surveillance tool.”

Interestingly, the research was funded by a Chinese government-backed project examining social governance and institutional innovation. At present, China’s social credit score system is a collection of different program.

It combines things like a financial credit system similar to credit ratings or reports in the West. It also contains regulatory blacklists that list individuals or companies who have fallen foul of the law for whatever reason.