Chinese Tech Firm Exploiting AI To Profile Citizens, Predict Future Dissenters Using Data And Online Activity

In the modern digital world, where artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping societies, a Chinese company is reportedly developing AI-powered technology that could help authoritarian governments not only monitor dissenters but also predict who may become one in the future.

The company, Geedge Networks, reportedly sells a commercial version of the surveillance and censorship systems used by the Chinese government to regulate online activity. According to leaked company documents reviewed by The New York Times, Geedge is working on advanced AI tools capable of analysing internet usage patterns and location data to identify individuals who may criticise the government before they actually do so.

"This is what happens when mass surveillance meets AI. Without checks and balances, what China is doing to its own citizens is a preview of what becomes possible anywhere these tools go unchecked," Brett J Goldstein, Director of the Wicked Problems Lab at Vanderbilt's Institute of National Security, told The New York Times.

Researchers at Vanderbilt University said the technology under development could create detailed digital profiles of Chinese citizens and use AI systems to determine who may be considered a future threat.

According to the report, Geedge researchers began building behavioural profiles in 2024 using telecommunications records, social media activity and location tracking data. AI models were then reportedly used to classify individuals and flag content deemed harmful.

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"Geedge's research team was doing more than just documenting behavioural patterns. They were trying to predict what citizens might do next and with whom. Those stockpiles of data on ordinary materials are raw materials for generating profiles that determine who you are and what you will do next," Brett V Benson, a political science professor at Vanderbilt told The New York Times.

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Vanderbilt researchers also said the leaked documents indicate Geedge attempted to link people's physical movements with their online behaviour, including the movies they watched and the books they read.

However, the company's progress reportedly slowed after the Biden administration imposed export restrictions on US-designed AI chips. While the Trump administration later restricted exports of Nvidia's most advanced processors, US officials recently indicated that China may gain access to more advanced Nvidia chips following Trump's latest visit to Beijing.