On Monday, the US tightened its restrictions on US exports of artificial intelligence (AI) technology designed for geospatial intelligence purposes like detecting and classifying objects from planes and satellites. While the move targets all countries except for Canada, it is widely believed to be directed at China’s AI surveillance sector.
The US has already blacklisted major Chinese AI surveillance and camera technology companies including SenseTime, Megvii, Hikvision and Dahua. Those measures were allegedly taken in relation to China’s extreme surveillance efforts targeting the Uighur population in the Xinjiang region.
Read more: New Trump Ruling Limits AI Surveillance Exports Over China Military Fears
