Alibaba AI Helps Catch Fishy Fraudsters in Zhejiang

(Yicai Global) July 26 — An artificial intelligence system developed by Alibaba Group Holding, one of China’s biggest tech firms, has helped police in Quzhou, Zhejiang province, arrest a couple suspected of illegal fishing practices after just three days of collecting evidence.

The detained are accused of electrofishing, which involves using a direct current to guide fish to a specific area, news site The Paper reported. It is often used to conduct aquatic surveys but can also be used as a means to capture fish to sell. If carried out correctly it should be harmless, but improper electrofishing can leave fish unable to reproduce if they manage to escape.

Police have tried to punish the husband and wife, surnamed Qian, several times before — but the law dictates that they cannot be prosecuted unless they have snagged half a ton of fish or more. The fishy fraudsters sold the bulk of their haul immediately after catching it, making it hard for police to determine how much they had actually taken from the water.

Alibaba’s AI system, which encompasses hundreds of cameras across fishmongers and wet markets, managed to collect enough data for police to put the couple behind bars — after about 20 minutes of manual work.

Quzhou authorities originally installed the AI system to crack down on thefts of non-motorized vehicles, such as bicycles and electric scooters.

Editor: James Boynton