Inside China's High-Tech Dystopia

In part three of Hello World Shenzhen, Bloomberg Businessweek’s Ashlee Vance heads out into a city where you can't use cash or credit cards, only your smartphone, where AI facial-recognition software instantly spots and tickets jaywalkers, and where at least one factory barely needs people. This is the society that China's government and leading tech companies are racing to make a reality, with little time to question which advancements are net positives for the rest of us.

Part One - Inside China's Future Factory

Part Two - China's High Stakes Robot Wars

Credits:

Creator & Host
Ashlee Vance

Director
David Nicholson

Producer
Diana Suryakusuma

Writers
Ashlee Vance
Alan Jeffries

Director of Photography
David Nicholson

Editor
Alan Jeffries

Camera
Jack Lam

Camera Assistant
Qi Yang

Motion Graphics
Sylvia Yang

Fixer
Yang Liu

Audio Mix
Cadell Cook

Colorist
Allie Ames

#BloombergHelloWorld

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[WawamuStats]

This is kinda biased because using an AMEX credit card in China obviously won’t work... Even in Canada, some places only accept VISA and MasterCard. Tbh I feel more places accept WeChat than AMEX in Vancouver.

[Victor-hyux]

As a Chinese, this video teach me a lot, let me summarize it:
1. Machines are replacing people, creating unemployment. For example, if a corn field used to need 100 man to harvest, now a harvester with 1 driver does this job, 99 people loose their job, really bad.
2. If you used payment through phone, big brother is watching you. But if you use a credit card, then your privacy is protected.
3. Using QR code everywhere should be seriously considered. This thing is wiping out humanity, no human waiters serve customer, the cold machines without soul server human.
4. Crossing a road with red light on is illegal, it is a restriction of freedom, bad.
5. Chinese should not form tech company which potentially taking market share from US company. What Chinese should do, is making clothes and toys.

I have been a fan of the Bloomberg but as a Shenzhen native and a person lived in the U.S. for 5 years, I would say this video is too biased to be convincible and not informative, when you are even implying automated production line is a bad thing. Of course there are a lot human right problem you can write about in China, but not being able to use an AMEX credit card here is obviously not one of them. I would love to see more episodes of video on China's issues but you have to lay down the facts and be objective to convince people

[JonasGrumby]

I spent months in Shenzhen in 2006. The factories they have are crazy huge. Then there is another building right next to it where the workers sleep. Kind of like a dorm. I'm from California and it was eye-opening to see that everyone lives in a highrise building. People buy and sell for the lease rights for these apartments like used cars. They also don't have racial problems because everyone is Chinese. I rode a lot of mass transit like buses and trains and people were so quiet. I was kind of odd. You also can't get in or out of the city without going through a checkpoint. I had to get out of the Taxi and go through security to go out to the country to the factories. Then the same procedure on the way back into the city.

[ruanfernando]

Nah, the NSA is doing exactly the same, they just don't tell us.

[hansolo]

lmao this dude using AMEX in China. Even in America, some place dont accept American Express.

[ltkwok]

I remember when Shenzhen didn’t have paved roads.

[Mohanbabu]

Is this supposed to be a journalistic work?

[Full_Throttle_no_Brakes]

Here in Europe I've never seen a shop where you can pay with American Express.
It's not a thing outside USA

[MrGraemeb]

The dash board dog is a surveillance camera...

[transcendentalaesthetic]

This guy is like a Vice journalist with even less charm.

[MultiCJ]

China's cities are so cyberpunk. I think that's how will looks worldwide cities in the future.

[ridcomics]

I hate to break to it you, but its already way past 1984 if you ask me.
Taking money right from your account via facial recognition just for walking across the road.
Seriously?

[nephildevil]

In Japan they still have the old fashioned peer pressure system, if you jaywalk there, the people will creepily stare at you until you commit harakiri out of 'shame' 🤣🤦‍♂️🤣

[Templemain]

I have visited Shanghai and China many times. I'm a nobody before retirement blessed with a job, a traditional Chinese wife, in laws & Chinese friends that allowed me to visit and reside in China for months at a time. I will always be grateful since I have visited more places, seen more things in China that most born Chinese have done. Name it, I've been there for most of China & it was just magnificent. Yes I've been to to the USA, Europe, UK, Asia, New Zealand many times & all have their attributes but I would never place one over the other. Travel is just the best! I now live in Sydney, OZ and love it.This is my final home!

[brooklynherve]

That’s the most inaccurate description for a VPN I’ve ever heard

[WilliamHouStudio]

Got the credit card/QR code part seriously wrong - credit cards, or debit cards still work in all of the machines in the video, however, most convenience stores or supermarkets do not accept foreign cards like Mastercard or VISA - only Chinese credit/debit cards with the UnionPay sign on it is accepted.

[KawalAndDeep]

Poor journalism... Why make conclusive remarks, instead of presenting data/facts and letting the viewers decide for themselves?

[saladspinner]

I think the US is the only one who laughed of QR years ago....

[tmkim]

I am not Chinese, but I feel that our country is also entering the dystopian era.
Since 10 years ago, many jobs have disappeared in our country, and the gap between rich and poor has increased by 20%.
The government continues to regulate and control the media and press.
What is surprising is that our country is never a poor country. Nevertheless, we looks at the dystopian era.
I don't know who can solve this huge problem.