SenseTime says a former IP rights employee is under police investigation in China
- The Chinese AI champion says the employee is being investigated by mainland police in a commercial-related case
- The suspect is a former executive director, according to the state-backed Shanghai Securities News
SenseTime, one of China’s top artificial intelligence companies listed in Hong Kong, said the mainland police are investigating a person who previously worked for its intellectual property (IP) unit.
“A former employee of SenseTime’s Intellectual Property Division is currently under investigation by the Public Security Bureau due to [a] suspected commercial-related case,” the company said in a statement sent to the Post on Sunday.
The Hong Kong-based firm added that it maintains a commitment to ethical conduct and has “a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption and any form of illegal activities”, without elaborating.
SenseTime did not comment on the identity of the person under investigation. The suspect was described as a former executive director of intellectual property rights who was probed for financial problems, in a report by the state-backed Shanghai Securities News.
Founded in 2014, SenseTime develops AI technology used in a variety of areas from autonomous driving to augmented reality and medical imaging. It is China’s leading provider of AI-powered facial recognition technology.
The company was once considered one of China’s promising “four little dragons” of artificial intelligence, but has seen its business struggle since a highly anticipated initial public offering in Hong Kong in December 2021.
