Will Huawei’s Newest AI-Powered Surveillance Tech Boost China’s Military?

Chinese tech giant Huawei has recently unveiled its latest artificial-intelligence surveillance (AI) “corps” in an unsettling military-like event that underscored the firm’s strong ties to China’s security establishment.

A National Review report indicated Tuesday that Huawei established a new internal business unit to create surveillance equipment powered by AI. The new division will be responsible for optimizing the troubled Chinese firm’s undertakings to dominate the global market for its innovative and pioneering AI surveillance systems that can be implemented by cities all over the world.

The event also demolishes Huawei’s international affairs and corporate lobbying to dispel the plausible theory that the brand has achieved optimum bonds with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

Huawei’s sales decreased in 2021 due to international prohibitions, but its profit soared as it diversified into other industry sectors. The National Review also tackled that restructuring Huawei into numerous “corps” that are each focused on a different yet emerging industry is one of the efforts being made to alter the corporation in light of the Western injunctions.

Trump-era penalties and crusades to compel foreign states to forgo using Huawei tech in their network technologies have severely damaged the telecom powerhouse over the past few years. Moreover, the American government under Trump also warned the authorities of its diplomatic allies and other nations, claiming that Huawei is a component of the CCP’s spy network. Subsequent information tying Huawei to the party’s clandestine networks has corroborated such assertions.

This division, which was introduced as “machine vision,” a computerized photo analysis system based on artificial intelligence, is essential to the company’s ambitions to compete in the surveillance devices marketplace.

A row of uniformed Huawei personnel was seen executing a raised-fist CCP salute onstage during the launch. A banner behind them translates to:

“Application integration, Cloud coordination, Build a leading competitor! Deepen channel distribution to help customers succeed on the frontline. Stay focused and competitive to live and die with the Corps. Machine Vision Corps, Victory! Huawei, Victory! Victory! Victory!” a Chinese-security media said in a report.

Ren Zhengfei, Meng Wanzhou, and other corporate executives participated in the event on that day, delivered the flag, and spoke to the legion, according to a video clip posted by Huawei’s “Xinsheng Community” official account.

Huawei Circumvents US Restrictions

Since several years ago, Huawei has made a concerted effort to depict itself with a quintessential attack as a privately owned tech firm. To this end, it has spent millions of dollars attempting to influence the United States, entering into a collaboration with major media organizations, and even received support from former US government officials.

Also, the tech goliath has been making strides to compete with other Chinese surveillance goliaths like Hikvision and Dahua, both of which are subject to US fines for their occupations in the extensive surveillance of Uyghurs; Huawei strives to penetrate the machine vision marketplace. 

A BBC report mentioned that a vast network of “surveillance” had been installed throughout Xinjiang, including cops, roadblocks, and cameras that can scan anything from license plates to specific faces. Human Rights Watch, as included in the report, claims police are also keeping track of citizen behavior through a mobile app, including how much electrical energy people are using and how frequently they open and access their main door. About 12 million Uyghurs, the majority of whom are Muslims, reside in Xinjiang, also known as the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR).

Going back, Jimmy Quinn declared that Huawei’s endeavor might have worldwide repercussions, allowing the deployment of mass surveillance technology offered by a firm with a blatant political affinity.

“That effort may have global implications, enabling the export of mass-surveillance technology sold by a company with a clear allegiance to the party,” he said.

Duan Aiguo, the head of Huawei’s machine-vision division in 2020, promised that his company would overtake the competition in that sector within five years. Duan was pictured at the ceremony seated with the core of the corporate management, despite the Chinese security-media article stating that it was uncertain if he would officially oversee this new Corps.