They worked on artificial intelligence. They died in mysterious circumstances
In the shadow of the global technology race in China, a drama takes place, which resembles the plot of a political and scientific thriller. The dead: Song Jian, Feng Yang, Tang Xiao’ou and He Zhi – each of them was an outstanding expert in the field of artificial intelligence. Everyone left suddenly, prematurely, without clear explanations. They were connected by something else – participation in projects considered key from the point of view of state security and strategic development.
A series of death that does not give up peace
A disturbing trend began in June 2022. Then the 45-year-old Song Jian-an expert from Megvia Technology, a leader in the field of face recognition technology, died. His death surprised everyone – he was in full strength, professionally active, involved in work on supervision systems used by the state apparatus.
Over the following months, the next ones died: Feng Yanghe, only 38-year-old specialist working on the military use of AIas well as Tang Xiao’ou – co -founder of Sensetime, one of the most powerful companies in the Chinese technology industry. The latest case is the death of He ZHI – a pioneer in the field of medical applications of artificial intelligence.
What did the deceased scientists connect? Strategic project
Observers see a disturbing pattern. All victims were involved in work that had a direct impact on China’s national security. They worked for companies or institutions close to the governmentoften developing technologies used in supervision, army or health care.
The daily « South China Morning Post » informed about cases, pointing to the lack of transparency on the parties of the authorities – instead of information about the causes of death, only short, biographical notes appeared, often published with delay.
Experts beat the alarm: Pressure can kill
According to Professor Liu Shaoshan, a valued computer science from China, the scientific community of AI is under great pressure today. – The creators of artificial intelligence face incomparable responsibility – he says. In his opinion, this is not only a technological race, but also a fight for a moral border, which is becoming more and more difficult to cross.
Liu points out that the influence of AI on society is powerful, and those who develop it often remain lonely in the face of the consequences of their actions. This tension – between the ambition, ethics and requirements of the state – can lead to dramatic effects, including personal tragedies.
Official silence – state strategy or lack of information?
Chinese authorities do not comment on matters. The state media lacks detailed reports, and the messages after the death of experts are usually limited to emphasizing their merits for the country. Such an information strategy does not calm down moods – on the contrary, raises speculation and conspiracy theories that gain strength in social media.
Source: National-Geographic.pl
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