Chinese entities file 900 facial recognition patents in 2017
Chinese entities filed for over 900 facial recognition patents last year, including both government-backed institutions and the private sector, compared to 96 filings by American entities, The Financial Times reports.
CB Insights tracked patents on the Espacenet database, and found that 530 patents for camera and video surveillance technology were filed in China last year, more than five times as many applications as were filed for the same field in the U.S. China has committed significant investments to growing the capabilities of its domestic artificial intelligence industry, including in a $2.1 billion research campus, and recently announced an open-source platform for AI development. China has adopted industrial policies to support both giant tech companies like Alibaba and Tencent, and also the country’s many startups, according to The Times.
“As with overall funding trend in AI, there are far fewer deals in China in 2017 than the US, but far greater funding,” The Times reports CB Insights senior analyst Deepashri Varadharajan as saying. Facial recognition firms in China attracted $1.64 billion in 45 deals last year.
The country’s huge database of national identification photos, population of internet users, and willingness to implement technology first and adjust policy afterwards are also considered contributing factors in facial recognition’s rapid growth in China.
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