Yitu Technology
{{Short description|Chinese facial recognition company}}{{Infobox company
| name = Shanghai Yitu Network Technology Co., Ltd.
| trading_name = Yitu Technology
| native_name = 依圖科技
| native_name_lang = zh
| industry = Artificial intelligence; facial recognition systems
| founded = {{start date and age|2012}}
| founder = Leo Zhu
| hq_location = 701 Yunjin Rd, Xuhui District, Shanghai
| website = {{Official URL}}
}}
Yitu Technology, stylized as YITU, is a Shanghai-based artificial intelligence company that develops facial recognition systems. The company was founded in 2012 by Leo Zhu and Lin Chenxi.{{Cite news |last=Lentino |first=Amanda |date=May 16, 2019 |title=This Chinese facial recognition start-up can identify a person in seconds |work=CNBC |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/05/16/this-chinese-facial-recognition-start-up-can-id-a-person-in-seconds.html |access-date=December 11, 2023 |archive-date=January 10, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110173016/https://www.cnbc.com/2019/05/16/this-chinese-facial-recognition-start-up-can-id-a-person-in-seconds.html |url-status=live }} Yitu's software, branded as Dragonfly Eye, is used by public security bureaus throughout China to identify individuals and vehicles.
Leo Zhu, the company's CEO, received his Ph.D. in statistics from University of California, Los Angeles and conducted post-doctoral research at the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. Yitu is financially backed by the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Sequoia Capital, and Hillhouse Capital.{{Cite news |last=Mozur |first=Paul |date=April 14, 2019 |title=One Month, 500,000 Face Scans: How China Is Using A.I. to Profile a Minority |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/14/technology/china-surveillance-artificial-intelligence-racial-profiling.html |access-date=December 11, 2023 |archive-date=June 8, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190608204738/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/14/technology/china-surveillance-artificial-intelligence-racial-profiling.html |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |date=2021-08-19 |title=AI Firm Yitu Said to Mull Hong Kong IPO After Shanghai Plan Halt |language=en |work=Bloomberg News |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-08-19/ai-firm-yitu-said-to-mull-hong-kong-ipo-after-shanghai-plan-halt |access-date=2023-12-11 |archive-date=2021-12-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211216083741/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-08-19/ai-firm-yitu-said-to-mull-hong-kong-ipo-after-shanghai-plan-halt |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |date=April 18, 2018 |title=Malaysian police adopt Chinese AI surveillance technology |work=Nikkei Asia |url=https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Companies/Chinas-startup-supplies-AI-backed-wearable-cameras-to-Malaysian-police |access-date=December 11, 2023 |archive-date=June 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230609112342/https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Companies/Chinas-startup-supplies-AI-backed-wearable-cameras-to-Malaysian-police |url-status=live }} Yitu's chief operating officer, Zhang Xiaoping, also serves as the chief investment officer of G42.{{Cite news |last1=Wong |first1=Edward |author-link=Edward Wong |last2=Mazzetti |first2=Mark |author-link2=Mark Mazzetti |last3=Mozur |first3=Paul |date=January 9, 2024 |title=A.I. Giant Tied to China Under Scrutiny |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/09/us/politics/ai-china-uae-g42.html |access-date=January 9, 2024 |work=The New York Times |archive-date=January 9, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240109101111/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/09/us/politics/ai-china-uae-g42.html |url-status=live }}
History
In 2017, Yitu took first place in a contest for facial recognition algorithms held by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.{{Cite news |last=Mozur |first=Paul |date=2018-07-08 |title=Inside China's Dystopian Dreams: A.I., Shame and Lots of Cameras |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/08/business/china-surveillance-technology.html |access-date=2024-01-05 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=2019-10-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191016213347/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/08/business/china-surveillance-technology.html |url-status=live }} In 2018, Yitu partnered with Huawei to enhance its smart cities projects.{{Cite web |date=28 November 2019 |title=Mapping more of China's tech giants: AI and surveillance |url=https://www.aspi.org.au/report/mapping-more-chinas-tech-giants |access-date=December 11, 2023 |website=Australian Strategic Policy Institute |archive-date=21 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200121231455/https://www.aspi.org.au/report/mapping-more-chinas-tech-giants |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |date=March 29, 2018 |title=华为携手依图发布全景式人脸识别解决方案 |trans-title=Huawei joins hands with Yitu to release panoramic face recognition solution |url=https://www.huawei.com/cn/press-events/news/2018/3/huawei-yitu-facial-recognition-solution |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191114000502/https://www.huawei.com/cn/press-events/news/2018/3/huawei-yitu-facial-recognition-solution |archive-date=14 November 2019 |access-date=2023-12-11 |website=Huawei |language=zh}} The same year, Yitu established an office in Singapore and signed a deal with the Royal Malaysia Police for facial recognition software. In 2019, the Chinese government named Yitu one of its "national champions" in artificial intelligence.{{Cite news |last=Dai |first=Sarah |date=August 30, 2019 |title=China adds Huawei, Hikvision to expanded 'national team' spearheading country's AI efforts |work=South China Morning Post |url=https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3024966/china-adds-huawei-hikvision-expanded-national-team-spearheading |access-date=December 11, 2023 |archive-date=May 14, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230514095507/https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3024966/china-adds-huawei-hikvision-expanded-national-team-spearheading |url-status=live }} In 2021, Yitu withdrew its initial public offering application on the Shanghai Stock Exchange STAR Market following regulatory scrutiny and announced its intention to list on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
= US sanctions =
{{Further|United States sanctions against China}}
In October 2019, the United States Department of Commerce added Yitu to the Entity List for alleged involvement in human rights abuses in Xinjiang.{{Cite news |last=Kwan |first=Campbell |date=October 7, 2019 |title=US blacklists 28 Chinese entities, citing their role in repressing Uyghur Muslims |work=ZDNet |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/us-blacklists-28-chinese-entities-over-treatment-of-uyghur-muslims-hikivision-and-dahua-among-them/ |access-date=December 11, 2023 |archive-date=June 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230605024030/https://www.zdnet.com/article/us-blacklists-28-chinese-entities-over-treatment-of-uyghur-muslims-hikivision-and-dahua-among-them/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |date=October 8, 2019 |title=China's leading AI start-ups hit by US blacklisting |work=Financial Times |url=https://www.ft.com/content/663ab29c-e9bd-11e9-85f4-d00e5018f061 |url-access=subscription |access-date=December 11, 2023 |archive-date=June 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230601224839/https://www.ft.com/content/663ab29c-e9bd-11e9-85f4-d00e5018f061 |url-status=live }} In December 2021, the United States Department of the Treasury added Yitu to its "Chinese military-industrial complex companies" (CMIC) blacklist.{{Cite news |last1=Sevastopulo |first1=Demetri |last2=Langley |first2=William |date=December 15, 2021 |title=US to blacklist eight more Chinese companies including dronemaker DJI |work=Financial Times |url=https://www.ft.com/content/fbcf9467-5b7e-4a81-8b40-d829fefa09ae |url-access=subscription |access-date=December 11, 2023 |archive-date=November 8, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231108103810/https://www.ft.com/content/fbcf9467-5b7e-4a81-8b40-d829fefa09ae |url-status=live }} In January 2024, the United States Department of Defense named Yitu on its list of "Chinese Military Companies Operating in the United States."{{Cite news |date=February 1, 2024 |title=Pentagon calls out Chinese companies it says are helping Beijing's military |url=https://www.reuters.com/technology/pentagon-adds-companies-chinese-military-list-us-official-says-2024-01-31/ |access-date=February 1, 2024 |work=Reuters}}
See also
References
External links
- {{Official website}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Facial recognition software
Category:Chinese companies established in 2012
Category:Software companies of China
Category:Chinese entities subject to U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctions
Category:Defence companies of the People's Republic of China