“AI Guards” Will Make Escaping From This Prison Virtually Impossible

If any of the prisoners serving their time at Yancheng prison are planning a prison break, they had better do it as soon as possible. The Chinese prison is reportedly finishing its new “smart” surveillance system or AI guards after months of construction. This system is designed to monitor and supervise inmates at every second, even when they are staying in their cells.

This digital panopticon, according to officials, will make escaping virtually impossible. However, it might also affect the mental conditions of prisoners.

On April 1st, on The South China Morning Post website, there’s a story about China’s Yancheng prisons’ new surveillance system. The prison currently has some of the most high-profile inmates of the nation. According to some sources, the facility, which is in Yanjiao, is almost done with its surveillance system update. This new update includes a network of sensors and cameras that can track inmates constantly.

These sensors and cameras are backed by an AI system with movement analysis and facial identification technologies to keep track of each inmate at the prison. Every day, the system produces a daily report on each one and flags any detected unusual behavior.

Meng Qingbiao, the project representative, said in an interview with the SCMP:

This is not the first time we have read news about the use of AI in making facilities “smart.” Back in February, The Correctional Services Department of HongKong announced the application of several new technologies to keep inmates safe during their imprisonment.

It’s possible that the system of Yancheng facility could have the same purpose. If the inmate in Meng’s example was pacing for wanting to hurt themselves, the system could detect the unusual behavior, and with a subsequent check from the human guard, the scenario can be prevented.

However, a physiology professor from Beijing Normal University, Zhang Xuemin, told SCMP that the mental state of the prisoners would definitely be affected by the new system. While he did not exactly mention what are the possible effects, past research has pointed out that constant surveillance can raise the levels of anxiety and stress of a person. Moreover, it also decreases their trust in other people.