Neurototalitarianism

As many researchers of authoritarianism and totalitarianism (for example, the economist Mark Harrison) note, one of significant restrictions of authoritarian regimes — the high costs connected with the cost of maintenance of the huge office of secret police and comprehensive privacy.

Technology inventions, first of all radio and phone, rationalized control and helped with establishment of the totalitarian modes (see, in particular, Frank Dikotter. Mao’s Great Famine: The History of China’s Most Devastating Catastrophe, 1958–1962. Walker and Company, 2010 and David P. Chandler. The Tragedy of Cambodian History, New Haven. Yale University Press, 1991). Phone allowed to check subordinates in real time — the possibility of sabotage (weapon not only "weak") sharply decreased.

The smartphone repeatedly multiplies control function of simple phone. What can be applied both for the good, and to the detriment: technologies in itself are neutral, the one who and for what purpose uses them is important, as we know.

Neuronets can be applied to the solution of very different tasks too. So, it is possible to train a neuronet to reveal patterns in the huge volume of clinical records of millions of patients and based on this knowledge to look for new drugs. But the same neuronets coping with hitherto exclusively human problem of recognition visual and audioinformation, it is quite possible to use for shadowing the population — "sacred Graal" of any totalitarian regime.

For 2018 similar experiments already go. The situation when private life can disappear in principle, not so is fantastic. The totalitarian modes of the past, maybe, would also like to reach such extent of control over citizens, but it partly rested against technological limits. The neuronet as her apologists assure of the same China, allows to reduce crime. Probably, it so, only possible criminal intents of those who control neuroshadowing and restrictions of freedom of citizens risk to become a ghost effect of these good intentions^[1].

Chronicle of development

2018

Search of illegal migrants by means of scanners of autorooms in shopping centers

In July, 2018 it became known of how shopping centers in the USA help migration services to look for illegal immigrants. Reported about it in human rights organization Fund of electronic boundaries (Electronic Frontier Foundation, EFF),

In the State of California tens of shopping centers belonging to Irvine Company Retail Properties construction company send data from scanners of car numbers to law enforcement agencies thanks to what the last find location of potential criminals.  Read more here.

Shopping centers help migration services to look for illegal immigrants

Neurototalitarianism prototype: SUAR

The prototype of future neurototalitarianism can be observed in the Chinese Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) where separatist sentiments are traditionally strong. According to the estimates of IHS Markit analytical company, in 2015 in the People's Republic of China 176 million surveillance cameras were already mounted (for comparison: in the USA — only 62 million), and by their 2020 nearly 450 million will be set. A considerable part of cameras are the share of sensitive regions — the capital where almost any corner is browsed by cameras, and the same SUAR. In the region it is the share of each 10 thousand inhabitants as much now surveillance cameras how many in other parts of the country looks behind several million people.

However video surveillance in itself at traditional technology would rest against need of hiring of the whole army of the supervisors browsing trillions of hours of records. Technology progress in a type capable to distinguish persons of a neuronet comes to the rescue.

As the Sinologue Leonid Kovachich notes, photos of all registered inhabitants of SUAR are stored in police databases. This base is connected with a neuronet on the basis of which the system of face recognition works. Outdoor cameras in the automatic mode can monitor movement on the city of any person. In many shopping centers before an input the scanners distinguishing persons and identifying the identity of the visitor are installed.

If the person appears in a police card file as suspicious, a system automatically sends warning to police station. According to Bloomberg, the neuronet warns police if "suspicious persons" deviate the usual route more than on 300 meters. Certainly, for the power not only conventional criminals can be suspicious, but also those who in something do not agree with it. Needless to say, on each car registered in Xinjiang special sensors of a geolocation are installed — it is impossible to drive without supervision and to drive unnoticed by the machine from other region too. Plus the authorities by hook or by crook try to collect DNA samples at all population of the region.

Neuroshadowing brings possibilities of control of the power over the subordinated classes to new, earlier inaccessible level. On the one hand, the army of supervisors cleans up and the principal-agent's problem, typical for economy, i.e., in other words, need of shadowing the one who performs someone's instructions is minimized. The neuronet, of course, requires own supervisors, but the most resource-intensive element of supervision — viewing and wiretap of huge mass of crude data cleans up.

So far the prototype of a neyropanoptikon is created only in SUAR, but nothing prevents to move this experience and to other regions, the countries and fields of activity.

At the airport of Dubai there was a robot announcing suspicious people

On February 27, 2018 it became known that at the airport of Dubai there was a robot who can detect and announce any suspicious people or activity. According to  the Khaleej Times edition, customs of Dubai already completed a pilot stage of sale of the robot which will be set in a zone of arrival of the airport.

The robot performs functions of face recognition and has the system of x-ray scanning and the thermal imaging camera. He collects data retrieveds, processes them and creates threat assessment, and then reports about it to the manager.

The robot police officer who is used in Dubai

The scanner of face recognition of the robot has communication with the Interpol, thanks to it he can warn administration of the airport about appearance of the criminals who are wanted at the international level. When the threat is absent, the robot welcomes travelers at the airport.

According to Khalid Al Zaruni (Khalid Al Zarooni), the specialist in innovations  of the Innovation center of customs, the robot is "one of the best innovative developments".

At the airport of Dubai the customs inspector android mentioned by a set of the international awards is also used. The device is capable to react to gesticulation and a mimicry, temperature radiation of a body and also to distinguish persons and to trace baggage.

Besides, the staff of customs uses a "smart" table which finds out that it is in a suitcase, without opening it and also the equipment detecting the hidden prohibited substances.

At the end of February, 2018 it became announced that at the airport of Dubai 120 "smart" suitcases will be used. They are equipped with screens and can detect "carefully hidden" weapon and explosives. Devices warn police about potential threats and also display detailed information on the hidden prohibited substances.^[2]

Notes