China develops porn-detection helmet that reads brain waves for censorship purposes

[midian182]

WTF?! China, always at the forefront of Orwellian surveillance technology, has created a device that detects when someone is watching pornography, a pastime that has been illegal in the country since 1949.

As reported by the SCMP (via Hackaday), China uses a combination of AI bots and human appraisers, called Jian Huang shi, most of whom are women, to search the web for images and decide if they contain explicit content deemed illegal. But tiredness and overexposure mean even these safeguards don't stop every bit of x-rated material from slipping through the cracks.

This is your brain on porn

Researchers at Beijing Jiaotong University developed a way to potentially make life easier for the appraisers. The anti-porn helmet, or wire-covered shower cap, to be more accurate, can detect spikes in human brainwaves that occur when we see explicit images. It can even ignore brain waves caused by other activities, such as emotions, weariness, or even random thoughts.

Researchers have tested the device on 15 male volunteers aged 20-25, where it worked every time they saw something that could be classed as porn. However, there were some false positives, which were blamed on a lack of sufficient training material—what with pornography being illegal in China and all. There's also a question over whether it will work just as well on the mostly female Jian Huang shi.

The idea behind the helmet is that appraisers could be shown a large number of images in quick succession, and the device will automatically log any that are too naughty for the state, rather than the appraisers slowly clicking through each one and deciding if it's too hot to handle.

But there are concerns about the device's uses outside of this scenario. Some Chinese factories use brain surveillance devices via monitors in helmets to improve productivity and decrease worksite accidents. There are no laws restricting what information they can gather, so who knows where this sort of thing could lead.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/95315-china-develops-porn-detection-helmet-reads-brain-waves.html

 

[Rocky4040]

Here is an idea stop trying to decide what people should or should not view on the internet and stay out of peoples private lives it's non of their business. Then again this is China so their people basically have next to no rights anyway because the government thinks they should be able to control every aspect of their peoples lives.

To think here in Canada our own Prime Minister said he admires China and how their government does things. To think this PM has had like 3 elections called by him because he can not get a majority government set because he just gets enough votes to make a minority government and has stated he will keep calling elections every 18 months until he gets his majority government and because the way Canada is setup he can do this for ever or at least until more people get smart and stop wasting their votes on this guy because they think he has pretty hair.

My personal opinion on this is that here in Canada we need to adopt what they have in the USA a sitting president can only serve up to 2 terms then they have to walk away. We could be stuck with our clown of a PM for ever unless our people start voting smarter.

 

[psycros]

"Some Chinese factories use brain surveillance devices via monitors in helmets to improve productivity and decrease worksite accidents."

Jesus, their already at this phase of full sci-fi dystopia? The sooner we move ALL manufacturing out of China the better. We do NOT need them, regardless of what the liars on Wall Street say. The US does indeed have the engineering expertise necessary to rebuild domestic manufacturing, and ironically a good chunk of that expertise was foreign-born and educated in America. Have them give up dual citizenship just to be safe, of course. I'd rather pay 20% more for some piece of electronic junk and keep all the money at home rather than keep enriching a parasite regime.

 

[emmzo]

I can see the ad: Cockblocker helmet, when you're feeling alone and horny. Free promotion with valid ID.

 

[terzaerian]

"Some Chinese factories use brain surveillance devices via monitors in helmets to improve productivity and decrease worksite accidents."

Jesus, their already at this phase of full sci-fi dystopia? The sooner we move ALL manufacturing out of China the better. We do NOT need them, regardless of what the liars on Wall Street say. The US does indeed have the engineering expertise necessary to rebuild domestic manufacturing, and ironically a good chunk of that expertise was foreign-born and educated in America. Have them give up dual citizenship just to be safe, of course. I'd rather pay 20% more for some piece of electronic junk and keep all the money at home rather than keep enriching a parasite regime.

The thing is, our western CEOs and politicians don't look at this with horror but keen interest. They envy this level of surveillance and control. We the people hoped that opening up trade to China would liberalize their society, but in the end, they have only tyrannized ours.

 

[QuaZulu]

I wonder if the helmet will block images of ladies holding pineapples...

 

[brucek]

Is one of the assumptions here that a young man's brain shown porn images for among the first times will react the same way as an adult woman's brain who has been staring at them all day every day for years? Because I don't think it works like that at all.

 

[wiyosaya]

Ah, the Chinese have re-invented the tin-foil hat.

 

[McMurdeR]

That is beyond hillarious!

 

[yannus]

No porn is good, no freedom is bad.

 

[Reallyhow]

"Some Chinese factories use brain surveillance devices via monitors in helmets to improve productivity and decrease worksite accidents."

Jesus, their already at this phase of full sci-fi dystopia? The sooner we move ALL manufacturing out of China the better. We do NOT need them, regardless of what the liars on Wall Street say. The US does indeed have the engineering expertise necessary to rebuild domestic manufacturing, and ironically a good chunk of that expertise was foreign-born and educated in America. Have them give up dual citizenship just to be safe, of course. I'd rather pay 20% more for some piece of electronic junk and keep all the money at home rather than keep enriching a parasite regime.

Okay, but do you think American retailers are going to carry the more expensive American made goods?

 

[terzaerian]

Okay, but do you think American retailers are going to carry the more expensive American made goods?

Notionally, nominally "American" multinational retailers? Probably not, but **** them in particular. Small businesses and retailers that incorporate American-made goods as an end to pursue probably would though.

 

[Reallyhow]

Notionally, nominally "American" multinational retailers? Probably not, but **** them in particular. Small businesses and retailers that incorporate American-made goods as an end to pursue probably would though.

Would they be able to generate enough profit to survive, though...

 

[terzaerian]

Would they be able to generate enough profit to survive, though...

You act like long-tail, identity-based consumer goods like organic foods or gaming PC builders don't exist.

I've been in a Wal-Mart only two times in the past two years, both times were to buy plastic bins, and the only reason I went to a Wal-Mart was I knew they would have them. If there was a local retailer that I knew for certain would supply that kind of good on-site, made in America, even if it cost more, you can bet your *** I would go there instead.

 

[Kam7r]

Ah crap my anti-porn helmet bip'd several times just by reading this article

 

[VEGGIM]

"Some Chinese factories use brain surveillance devices via monitors in helmets to improve productivity and decrease worksite accidents."

Jesus, their already at this phase of full sci-fi dystopia? The sooner we move ALL manufacturing out of China the better. We do NOT need them, regardless of what the liars on Wall Street say. The US does indeed have the engineering expertise necessary to rebuild domestic manufacturing, and ironically a good chunk of that expertise was foreign-born and educated in America. Have them give up dual citizenship just to be safe, of course. I'd rather pay 20% more for some piece of electronic junk and keep all the money at home rather than keep enriching a parasite regime.

What about for semiconductor. Even if it is built, we'd be behind 5nm. So our tech would start receding back/ require more power to get to the same performance level that would be done with smaller nodes.

Forgot to add that because tsmc is around taiwan manufacturing. If amd suddenly lost that location, amd would start to lose again and intel would be the winner. This includes Nvidia.

 

[Faelan]

Lol - they’re going to need way more than 15 male volunteers and then they will realize to their horror that some people are turned on by some pretty weird stuff.

 

[MarcusNumb]

Well instead of detecting porn, why don't they make it to detect corruption intentions

 

[BuckarooBonzaii]

Now if China can only develope a brain hat to cure ED.

 

[VaRmeNsI]

So what if pictures of Xi are found to be erotic?

 

[wiyosaya]

Well instead of detecting porn, why don't they make it to detect corruption intentions

Well, I somewhat hate to say this, but corruption has been part of Chinese (and others) culture for centuries. I think the Chinese would go broke without it.

EDIT: I have to argue that people buying Chinese goods enable that corruption.

 

[wiyosaya]

You act like long-tail, identity-based consumer goods like organic foods or gaming PC builders don't exist.

I've been in a Wal-Mart only two times in the past two years, both times were to buy plastic bins, and the only reason I went to a Wal-Mart was I knew they would have them. If there was a local retailer that I knew for certain would supply that kind of good on-site, made in America, even if it cost more, you can bet your *** I would go there instead.

Pretty much the same with me. I do occasionally shop at Walmart, but only because they are the only local source for the brand of toilet paper I like.

As for most of my home electronics purchases, I have supported a small local retailer for years, and I will continue to do so.

What about for semiconductor. Even if it is built, we'd be behind 5nm. So our tech would start receding back/ require more power to get to the same performance level that would be done with smaller nodes.

I am not so sure that we are so far behind in lithography tech as there are several very strong research initiatives in the US - for example https://sunypoly.edu/news/report-su...research-organization-drive-nstc-success.html

The profits from people buying US goods would almost certainly be reinvested into improvements.

Forgot to add that because tsmc is around taiwan manufacturing. If amd suddenly lost that location, amd would start to lose again and intel would be the winner. This includes Nvidia.

Perhaps, perhaps not.

 

[Crinkles]

Here is an idea stop trying to decide what people should or should not view on the internet and stay out of peoples private lives it's non of their business. Then again this is China so their people basically have next to no rights anyway because the government thinks they should be able to control every aspect of their peoples lives.

To think here in Canada our own Prime Minister said he admires China and how their government does things. To think this PM has had like 3 elections called by him because he can not get a majority government set because he just gets enough votes to make a minority government and has stated he will keep calling elections every 18 months until he gets his majority government and because the way Canada is setup he can do this for ever or at least until more people get smart and stop wasting their votes on this guy because they think he has pretty hair.

My personal opinion on this is that here in Canada we need to adopt what they have in the USA a sitting president can only serve up to 2 terms then they have to walk away. We could be stuck with our clown of a PM for ever unless our people start voting smarter.

Reads about controlling Chinese porn, types mile-long rant about Canadia.

Up-voted & recommended. Lol

 

[captaincranky]

Is one of the assumptions here that a young man's brain shown porn images for among the first times will react the same way as an adult woman's brain who has been staring at them all day every day for years? Because I don't think it works like that at all.

I can't cote the source on this but, women like porn too. Save for the fact that it has to have "romance" attached, and not just be a half hour of sexual gymnastics.
You know, cuddling is perhaps mandatory, after the fact.

 

[captaincranky]

My personal opinion on this is that here in Canada we need to adopt what they have in the USA a sitting president can only serve up to 2 terms then they have to walk away. We could be stuck with our clown of a PM for ever unless our people start voting smarter.

But would you be willing to accept our two party system, and wind up with an a**hole of "the great pumpkin's", "style of leadership", that gets accidentally voted into office, but when voted out, refuses to leave.I think not.

Better you should have a minority government that can't get anything done, than to have one party inflicting their agenda for everyone