US inherits Venezuelan surveillance state built on banned Chinese tech and AI

A new report from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) warns that Venezuela’s surveillance infrastructure, largely built with Chinese technology, remains a significant concern following the recent change in government. Despite the ousting of former President Nicolás Maduro, the report indicates that plans to integrate advanced Chinese AI systems into the state’s surveillance network may still proceed. These systems, including technology from companies like iFlytek, were previously banned in the US due to their role in human rights abuses. The ASPI report urges the US government to take decisive action to dismantle this surveillance apparatus, arguing that failing to do so would allow the new administration to inherit a powerful tool for digital authoritarianism. The situation highlights the geopolitical complexities of Chinese-backed surveillance tech in the Western Hemisphere and the ongoing challenge of curbing the global expansion of AI-enabled monitoring systems.