---
title: "Godfather of Deep Learning: China’s AI Tech Is “1984 Big Brother”"
description: "Yoshua Bengio opened up in a new interview about his anxiety about how China is using deep learning to surveil and manipulate large populations."
date: "2019-02-03"
modified: "2019-02-03"
authors:
  - name: "Jon Christian"
    job_title: "Executive Editor"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jonc"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/godfather-deep-learning-china-1984-big-brother"
categories:
  - "Artificial Intelligence"
tags:
  - "artificial intelligence"
  - "deep learning"
  - "surveillance"
  - "the digest"
---

# Godfather of Deep Learning: China’s AI Tech Is “1984 Big Brother”

![Yoshua Bengio opened up in a new interview about his anxiety about how China is using deep learning to surveil and manipulate large populations.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/godfather-deep-learning-china-1984-big-brother.jpeg>)
*\<em\>Image: Pexels\</em\>*

## The Godfather

Yoshua Bengio, a computer scientist who's widely considered one of the three "godfathers" of deep learning, opened up in a [new interview](<https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-02-02/deep-learning-godfather-bengio-worries-about-china-s-use-of-ai>) with *Bloomberg* about his anxiety about how China is using the technology he helped develop to surveil and manipulate large populations.

"This is the 1984 Big Brother scenario," he told the business magazine, referring to George Orwell's classic dystopic novel about universal government surveillance. "I think it’s becoming more and more scary."

## Mug Shot

Bengio, who's a professor at the University of Montreal and the co-founder of deep learning company Element AI, is particularly troubled by China's use of facial recognition technology.

Though American tech companies including Amazon also offer facial recognition software, Benio argued that the tech should be "highly regulated" because of its capacity for abuse, according to *Bloomberg.*

## Bleak Outlook

For a person whose work underlies much of the current boom in artificial intelligence technologies, Bengio is strikingly pessimistic about the role of the tech in the future.

"Technology, as it gets more powerful, outside of other influences, just leads to more concentration of power and wealth," he told *Bloomberg*. "That is bad for democracy, that is bad for social justice, and the general well-being of most people."

**READ MORE:** [Deep Learning ‘Godfather’ Bengio Worries About China's Use of AI](<https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-02-02/deep-learning-godfather-bengio-worries-about-china-s-use-of-ai>) \[*Bloomberg*\]

***More on deep learning:** [Artificial Intelligence Is Automating Hollywood. Now, Art Can Thrive.](<https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence-automating-hollywood-art>)*

## Author
I'm responsible for editing, assigning, and scouting at Futurism, as well as occasionally writing for the site. That work involves keeping an eye on a wide range of narratives and issues, but over the past few years I've become increasingly interested in how AI is shaping the future of media, the web, and information itself. My day-to-day often involves collaborating on reporting and commentary projects bylined by my colleagues, but I try to find time to do my own reporting as well; stories I've broken for Futurism have been cited by publications including the New York Times, the Washington Post, the New Yorker, Wired, Ars Technica, New York Magazine, the Columbia Journalism Review, Bloomberg, and more. I grew up in Southern Vermont and attended Vanderbilt University. Prior to Futurism, I contributed to outlets including the Boston Globe, Vice, Wired, Slate, the Atlantic, the Outline, Ars Technica and more, and did stints in farming and food service. I currently live in Brooklyn, New York, and in my free time I enjoy pinball, word games, cycling, running, and music production.

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/jonchristian.net>)