A prison that houses some of China’s most high-profile criminals is reportedly installing an artificial intelligence network that will be able to recognise and track every inmate around the clock and alert guards if anything seems out of place.

The “smart jail” system inside Yancheng prison integrates surveillance cameras and hidden sensors that collect data points into a central “brain,” an AI-powered computer that will generate a daily report on inmates using facial recognition and movement analysis.

“If an inmate has been spotted pacing up and down in a room for some time, the machine may regard the phenomenon as suspicious and suggest close-up check with a human guard,” project representative Meng Qingbiao told the South China Morning Post newspaper.

The technology deployed allows each camera to track up to 200 faces at a time, according to Mr Meng.

“So the prisoners might be able to blend in the crowd in a packed corridor, busy canteen, exercise session or even massive brawl, but they will never be able to slip away completely.