Facial recognition snares China’s air con queen Dong Mingzhu for jaywalking, but it’s not what it seems

  • Since last year, many Chinese cities have cracked down on jaywalking by investing in facial recognition systems and AI-powered surveillance cameras
  • Jaywalkers are identified and shamed by displaying their photographs on large public screens

Li Taoin Shenzhen
The face of Dong Mingzhu, chairwoman of Shenzhen-listed Gree Electric Appliances, is splashed on a huge screen erected along a street in Ningbo, a city in the eastern coastal province of Zhejiang, to display the images of people caught jaywalking by surveillance cameras. The system erred in capturing the face of Dong from a bus advertisement. Photo: Handout

While China has moved ahead of the rest of the world in making facial recognition technology a part of people’s everyday life, there are systems in the country that need tweaking.

Making a compelling case for change is the recent experience of Dong Mingzhu, chairwoman of China’s biggest maker of air conditioners Gree Electric Appliances, who found her face splashed on a huge screen erected along a street in the port city of Ningbo that displays images of people caught jaywalking by surveillance cameras.

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