A Chinese technology company is developing artificial intelligence-powered surveillance tools designed to identify individuals who could potentially pose political risks to the government, according to research by Vanderbilt University based on leaked corporate documents, New York Times reported.
The company, Geedge Networks, is known for selling network monitoring and censorship technology similar to the systems underpinning China's "Great Firewall."
Researchers say the firm is now working on next-generation products that combine location data, telecommunications records and internet activity with AI models to assess whether individuals could become future critics of the state.
The findings, first reported by NYT, are based on a trove of roughly 100,000 internal documents that surfaced last year. Vanderbilt researchers said the material indicated Geedge was attempting to build behavioural profiles of citizens and use AI to flag those who may be considered politically sensitive.
"This is what happens when mass surveillance meets A.I.," said Brett J. Goldstein, director of the Wicked Problems Lab at Vanderbilt's Institute of National Security.
"Without checks and balances, what China is doing to its own citizens is a preview of what becomes possible anywhere these tools go unchecked."
According to meeting records reviewed by researchers, Geedge employees discussed using AI to "identify their intent" and "achieve discovery of harmful information", language often associated with identifying dissent or content deemed politically sensitive by authorities.
"Geedge's research team was doing more than just documenting behavioral patterns. They were trying to predict what citizens might do next and with whom," said Brett V. Benson, a political science professor at Vanderbilt.
"Those stockpiles of data on ordinary materials are raw materials for generating profiles that determine who you are and what you will do next."
The documents suggest the company sought to link physical movements with online activities, including media consumption and reading habits, to enhance predictive profiling.
ALSO READ | Salesforce's Arundhati Bhattacharya Predicts 'Robotic Agents' As The Next Big Tech Wave
Researchers also found evidence that Geedge's ambitions may have been constrained by U.S. export controls on advanced AI chips. Internal records from 2024 indicate the company faced shortages of graphics processing units (GPUs), forcing it to rely on older and less capable AI models.
Former U.S. officials cited in the report argued that restrictions on high-end semiconductor exports helped slow China's development of advanced surveillance capabilities. However, experts caution that it remains unclear whether such controls can permanently hinder the use of AI for state surveillance.
While there is no evidence that Geedge has deployed the predictive technology, U.S. officials told The New York Times that Chinese firms continue to pursue increasingly sophisticated AI-driven surveillance systems, including predictive policing tools powered by domestic AI models.
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.