AI Race for Dominance

AI Race For Dominance

Palm vein AI technology biometric payment method

Welcome back, as we continue to answer the question why the Faith Community must understand AI.

In this continuing article we will begin to further pull back the curtain to see what is going on behind the scene concerning AI, the top AI countries that lead the AI revolution, China's influence in the AI expansion, what AI development data work looks like, palm vein AI technology and scanning the palm of your hand as a method of payment, is biometric facial measurement and palm vein technology significant to the faith community and finally the answer to navigating God's pathway through AI. If you missed the introductory article "Why the Faith Community Must Understand AI," you can find it here.

"AI Artificial Intelligence" https://lemuelbaker.com/ai_artificial_intelligence_

I hope you stay with me until the end because the answer for most of us in the Faith Community comes at the very end of the article with a little bit of guidance.

China, the United States, and South Korea, followed by Japan and Germany, lead the world in artificial intelligence patents, according to data sets analyzed by the Visual Capitalist AI Patents Report. A dark horse for AI also showed up on the AI radar, and that is Mexico, with a much smaller footprint regarding AI, nevertheless significant enough to mention.

Currently, the top global AI leaders are as follows:

China: Ranks number one globally because of its >25,000 recorded AI patents.

United States: Ranks second place, having more than 17,000 AI patents.

South Korea: Ranks third with > 5,600 patents.

Japan: Ranks fourth with approximately 4,800 patents.

Germany is in fifth place with more than 400 AI patents.

Israel ranks number 7 with >207 AI patents and is also on the AI leadership radar.

Mexico ranks number 10 with 57 patents as a dark horse that is also on the AI radar.

There are differences and emphasis in the types of AI patents China, the USA, South Korea, Japan, Germany, Israel, and Mexico seek patents for. China, the USA, and South Korea differ significantly in their AI patent strategies, focusing on distinct technological fields, filing volumes, and applicant types.

China: Heavy volume emphasis on computer vision, surveillance, autonomous driving, and smart manufacturing.

The United States: Concentrates on core foundational algorithms and AI that can read billions of words available in books, articles, and websites. Invests in general learning models, with a lesser number of patents than China listed on paper.

South Korea: Specializes in speech processing, robotics, and consumer electronics integration. South Korea specializes in voice recognition and electronics integrated by AI.

Germany: Focuses on industrial IoT, devices that have embedded censors, automotive infrastructure, and smart manufacturing like smart refrigerators.

Israel: Focuses on cybersecurity AI and defense applications. We wont confuse AI leadership ranking with investment ranking. Israel, although a tiny country, ranks 5th in AI investments and ranks number 1 in AI talent concentrated in the relatively tiny workforce of Israel's Silicon Valley, Tel Aviv. Using a comprehensive index, Israel, regardless of its population size, trails only the US, India, Canada, and the UK. Israeli AI talent can be found all over the world.

India is also on the AI patents count globally with more than 929 published patents, with the second largest AI talent pool in volume to choose from behind the US. What that means is Indian AI talent is now ubiquitous in many countries, joining the AI race because of India's large AI talent pool. You will find strong representation of Indian AI talent in virtually all "silicon valleys" of the world.

As you can see, AI patent creation is shared by a small group of countries, essentially China, the USA, South Korea, Japan and Germany.

Mexico: As an emerging AI market, Mexico made the list, ranking number 10 globally with 57 patents. Mexico focuses on imported foreign tech and AI technology adaptation rather than creating their own technology. They adapt existing models and adapt the AI models to fit their needs.

Let's talk about AI data work required initially to train and to educate an AI system.

You are sitting at home checking your email, and you see an email inviting you to do a survey and a modest financial compensation. The emails go out across the globe because there are people across the globe who need income. Recent college graduates sitting in a room in the Philippines, India, China, Japan, South Korea, the USA, Africa, and South America across the globe needing income.

You respond and you meet the survey requirements. You log on, and your task is to identify and to label what you see, such as pedestrians, the time of day, name the streets, identify stop lights, identify the name of the store at an intersection, and describe the center line on a street. The task is repetitive. Another survey looks like an online game. After a while you notice the compensation decreases and you scratch your head. AI data collection companies, including those based in California, are the fastest-growing AI-related companies.

In 2020, many online task-oriented games sponsored by data work companies began advertising for homebound freelancers. These surveys are generated to initially educate AI systems until the AI systems can take over and do the tasks better.

At this point the salary for each freelance online participant decreases drastically from paying literal dollars to only paying a few cents, because the AI system no longer needs as much freelance information.

The data created informs an autonomous car program and a gaming program. Data work is one means of training an AI until the AI system is able to use logic, reasoning, and critical thinking to exponentially produce, and says I have it from here. Sitting at home, it is difficult to connect the dots with a survey and AI data work.

Let's talk about cashless societies, countries with a cashless society. Sweden, Norway, China, South Korea, and the United Kingdom show a substantive and sustained drop in physical cash usage, reaching minimal levels, and that includes acceptance as a normal way of life including advanced biometric palm-scanning payment systems.

Sweden: As a norm, only between 2% and 5% of the population uses physical cash, and most banks no longer accept notes or coins. Currently in Sweden cash is a thing of the past.

Norway: Follows Sweden; less than 10% of all transactions are cash transactions, with a sustained shift to digital apps and cards.

China: Dominates mobile QR code platforms like Alipay and WeChat Pay. China has been dominating alternative financing worldwide, including in their AI patents, for more than ten years. China relies primarily on Alipay and WeChat Pay, apps that handle >90% of the country's digital transactions.

WeChat powered by Tencent’s massive messaging and social media platform merges daily chatting with peer-to-peer transfers, shopping, and bill pay.

Alipay: Was created by Alibaba and functions as a primary digital wallet focused heavily on commercial transactions. China has placed shopping on every cell phone and in the palm of our hands. We will talk about this some more and the biblical implications.

We have to include the continent of Africa as it relates to Chinese imported AI technology contracts with African governments and the African private sector. If you go to major African countries, the West Indies, or South America, for example, China has been there for so long most countries cannot function without Chinese wallets and alternative banking.

The transportation systems in these African countries were built by long-term Chinese government contracts, followed by private sector communication projects, cell phones, and alternative banking contracts. Africa, as well as many developing countries, including Pakistan, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Tanzania, had needs for highways, railways, energy plants, and ports.

There was a vacuum, and China rushed in to fill the vacuum and has been embedded in many developing countries solidly since 2013. China had the platform solidly in place, the networks, and the experience to easily add AI technology exports on top of the initial Belt and Road Initiative. To date China is 13 years ahead in terms of exporting technology and providing support to developing countries around the globe.

Chinese tech experts moved to Africa, adding to over one million Chinese immigrants and expats living in Africa to lay claim to the investment opportunity. These investment owners personally watch over their investment; they market their investment and frankly install Chinese leadership who understand the Chinese 996 business culture, which is an intensive work schedule working from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM six days a week with very short break times. This imported Chinese work culture has caused conflict in large Chinese-run businesses, including not hiring qualified African applicants for top positions.

These Chinese tech talents that moved to major African cities include software engineers, data scientists, and cybersecurity experts. Lagos, Nairobi, Cairo, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and Johannesburg are only a few African Chinese hub centers for AI-related technology and permanent cultural integration.

Chinese B2B technology is so embedded into African business culture it is almost impossible to make any changes. In fact, the indigenous population learns to love and to accept the technology. The ecosystems that buy groceries and goods, access ride share, send and receive money, and customer service bots that answer the phone are now embedded into African culture and essential to the daily life of all Africans. Huawei and ZTE built over 70% of Africa's 4G technology and are doing the same with 5G technology.

China has exported its AI patent power to governments and to private industry so significantly it must be talked about. AI technology contracts to foreign countries that retail stores use locally to swipe credit cards, electronic payments, palm vein technology, online purchases, etc. have become indispensable.

Chinese artificial intelligence and fintech - financial technology companies are aggressively exporting their next-generation retail infrastructure globally, with the Chinese tech experts and business owners already on the ground some since 2013, transforming how physical and online stores process transactions. Rather than relying on traditional bank-led credit card terminals, Chinas ecosystem bypasses traditional rails through advanced AI, biometric sensors, and interconnected digital frameworks. Instead of banks Fintechs deploy mobile apps, digital platforms to make money management faster. Generation Z and generation Alpha in Asia, India, Japan and countries outside the USA already are proficient with Fintech. This is important to know. We will also touch on the nuanced generational impact of AI later in the article.

If you look at the China Global Investment Tracker, China has influence in major economies and significantly through AI companies and patents. Australia, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Canada, Germany, and Indonesia. Look at Singapores Chinese population at 74% where it is normal to see a regular person on the train, eating at a night market who is one of >244,000 cash millionaires. A cash millionaire is a regular citizen who has a minimum of one million dollars cash as liquid assets in the bank as savings. This does not include fixed assets such as homes and vehicles.

We have no choice but to talk about China as it relates to AI. Take a look at the Chinese classrooms and the AI sophistication provided to both children and to university students. The interactive screens instead of a blackboard. AI integration into teaching methods inside Chinese cutting-edge classrooms. The sophisticated AI integration into classrooms, along with competitive salaries and two-hour lunch breaks, attracts teachers from overseas to teach in China.

A collaboration between US and Chinese AI companies implemented a cognitive technology project using a focus headband in classrooms although controversial is another AI tool using an algorithm to translate brainwaves calculating a students concentration in real time sending attention scores to teachers and to parents. Chinese Smart Classrooms consisting of interactive smart tvs, AI blackboards, AI enabled desks and student laptops all working together to deliver a high level of education.

In most categories of technology China is far ahead. Why? The dollar, money, is important to the Chinese culture, so is AI and the novelty thereof. China chose to proliferate the number of AI patents because every time another country or private company uses a Chinese-created patent, it generates royalties to the government or to the private Chinese company located in China.

China has already embarked upon an AI technology that is functional in their top-tier cities. For example, flying cars such as the Rictor X4 that retails at $39,900 USD, autonomous cars, vehicles with AI luxury comfort amenities so numerous that they rival Mercedes-Maybach, Rolls Royce and Bentley for one-third the price. The Maextro S800 is an ultra-luxury, full-size executive sedan jointly developed by Huawei and JAC Group rivals the Mercedes Maybach and in some aspects the Rolls Royce.

Cell phones, tablets, and computers that are spectacular, and robots that handle sales and customer service. China has ultra-luxurious cars at ridiculous prices that are a fantasy to drive in but not available to the American market. We have no choice but to talk about China as it relates to AI.

What is even more significant is Chinas AI technology has already been at work in the proactive management of infrastructure, roads, electricity, utilities, and even the construction of buildings by automated robotics. In Chinas top-tier cities such as Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou, China manages its complex public utilities through state-of-the-art AI-driven command centers and automated robotics.

China is ahead because the creators of AI technology are able to bring AI creations to market quickly, including bringing their inventions to overseas markets quickly and aggressively by using the existing template and network of the Belt and Road Initiative as a launching platform. As a cultural strategy, China moves quickly and aggressively before any window closes.

South Korea: Is also motivated to augment AI technology in order to operate heavily on digital transfers, cards, and automated cashless transit and vending networks. South Korea lost the AI edge to China, designing the basic concepts to much of what China now uses but were too slow to develop the concept and even slower bringing their AI inventions to market. Similarly western countries talked about electric vehicles for years while China speedily brought their product to market leading the electric vehicle race.

United Kingdom: Currently uses contactless cards and mobile wallets for the vast majority of retail outlets, university campuses, and public transit purchases.

Common biometric payment technologies that I looked at and have been with us preceding palm vein technology specifically fingerprint scans, iris recognition, voice recognition and behavioral biometrics all of which we have encountered in the very early years of AI biometric technology development linger into the future but will become C List actors with facial recognition and palm vein technology being the A List actors.

Let's talk about the ability to shop with only the palm of your hand while in China. It is becoming a normal option in China. If you leave home without your cell phone or wallet for a jog and you get thirsty, you can purchase a bottle of water and more by swiping the palm of your hand using palm-vein recognition technology. In 2026 Amazon USA tested the palm-vein recognition technology using Whole Foods Market as a test but discontinued it.

The UAE, Japan, Brazil, Singapore, and Thailand are all using or testing palm-vein recognition for transit fares and purchases through 7-Eleven. You simply scan your hand. Of course each person has to scan their palm initially, registering your unique palm vein configuration linked to your wallet, which is attached to your banking institution.

How Does Palm Payment Work?

The scientific term for swiping your hand when paying for a product or service is biometric payment authorization method, or biometric payment. Some people refer to the process as palm vein identification. The payment process works by three steps, first by mapping your palm vein configuration that requires hemoglobin in your blood. Second step is to convert your scan into an encrypted digital code then link that code to your payment source. Thirdly after setup you scan your hand at terminals that use near-infrared light to map both surface skin lines and the unique internal network of veins, blood vessels beneath the skin. No touch, you just place your hand above the palm reader and go. Instantly your purchase is approved and funds are withdrawn from your payment source sending confirmation to your cell phone. Pay attention to this paragraph because it has the answer to what the mark is referenced in Revelation.

China is the world leader that expanded its advanced cashless system by introducing palm-scan payments, allowing users to pay and to verify identity without a phone, credit card, or cash. Let that sink in for a moment. You scan your hand and go. Your scan is integrated with your digital wallet through AI technology. There is no one owner of biometric authorization that evolved over the years but China saw the opportunity to make profits through Alipay and WeChat choosing to leapfrog past western competitors who culturally prefer credit cards.

As palm vein authorization technology is taking shape worldwide countries such as China, Japan, India, Kazakhstan and countries in the middle east, EU, Latin America and North America deploy this technology in healthcare, and for high security zones.

As a Faith Community and as we continue to understand why the Faith Community must understand AI, we must look at the Bible reference to a cashless society forecasted in Revelation 13:16-17. We will also close out the article with a look at Jesus' words in Matthew chapter 24.

Revelation 13:16-17 "It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, 17 so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name." In summary what is described here has a universal and economic reach and restrictions whereby we cannot support ourselves, we cannot buy or sell goods, buy food, pay for housing or transportation unless we use the new system. Double hand amputees for example would only have a single option when purchasing, which is a face scan.

There is a historical context to Revelation 13:16-17 that refers to first-century Christians facing Roman persecution. In this context, it may have referred to trade guilds that required allegiance to the emperor to conduct business. The Bible does not explicitly use the term "cashless society."

This passage states that no one can buy or sell without a literal mark on their right hand or forehead. I underscored Revelation 13:16-17 as noteworthy, curious enough to take a closer look, because of the sustained upward trajectory of electronic banking and the downward trajectory of using cash. I also underscored Revelation 13:16-17 because of the existing facial scan element already established globally and palm vein technology achieving traction worldwide.

Let's talk more about scanning the palm of our hand technology already sustainably in place in China and several countries. The technology allows either the right or left hand as an option to scan whichever hand you choose. 85% to 90% of the world's population is right-handed. The remaining population consists of left-handed and ambidextrous people. The high percentage of right-handedness has stayed stable across human cultures for thousands of years.

Lets further discuss the mark on the hand. We have assumed that "the mark" referenced was placed on the hand or forehead by some other person or entity. The mark appears to be an anatomical configuration already part of the human anatomy that is used expediently and encrypted. This is my take on the issue, I am trying to be responsible hoping you can see the possibilities and how congruent current trends are to predictions in the book of Revelation: In the case of the hand, the mark is the encrypted code converted from the unique pattern of surface skin lines and the unique internal network of veins - blood vessels beneath the skin that is linked to your payment source. AI technology converts our palm vein configuration into an encrypted code that identifies us to our payment source.

The book of Revelation forecasted the right hand as the significant hand, not the left hand. "It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands." Across the globe most people are right-handed. Revelation mentioned the significant hand. Before the proliferation of AI technology, it was difficult to understand the full significance and potential of this scripture.

The Mark on the forehead: What about the claim that forecasts the mark on the forehead "receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads," documented in Revelation 13:16-17? It implies biometric authorization will be required by either facial recognition or by palm vein authorization, either or, and we may be able to choose which alternative is most convenient for us. This is the trajectory. This senerio may mean some stores or outlets, some government services, some online outlets may choose to use either face or palm options or provide both options as alternatives, depending on which vendor they use to provide authorization. Some vendors specialize in face recognition and other vendors specialize in palm vein technology.

In the case of the forehead, biometric facial recognition and authorization was implemented before hand vein authorization. Biometric facial recognition technology is currently used in approximately 109 countries. You see facial recognition has been with us all along but we never connected the dots. Unlike palm vein technology that is still taking shape and used in only dozens of countries, biometric facial recognition is already mainstream.

Biometric facial authorization has been used for both payment authorization verifying online apple pay checkouts. Facial recognition is used at in-store kiosks that scans the face at checkout. Facial recognition is used for app purchases, unlocking your device ,granting physical entry and for account login. Facial recognition is used for general security purposes in stores, airports, public streets, highways and at immigration check points.

AI facial recognition technology has been with us for decades but we never connected the dots. This portion of Revelation 13:16-17 has been with us and evolved with us over time, having already being a part of our lives and none of us realized it. This slow creep effect is the subtleness of prophesy without drama or fanfare. You are in full acceptance mode, without realizing it and probably never will become aware while waiting for the prophesy to be fulfilled.

Biometric facial authorization maps the unique mathematical patterns across the face and forehead. The process is contingent upon patterns of our anatomy not an external mark. The unique pattern of our human forehead contributes to our biometric measurement converted to our cryptographic token mark. The curve bone sitting above our eyes, your unique contour of your forehead, the distance between our inner eye, the distance between the centers of our pupil, our unique eye socket depth, the length, straightness and angle of our nose bridge, all contribute to our biometric measurement converted to our cryptographic token - mark. This is my take on the issue, This is my take on the issue, again here I am trying to be responsible hoping you can see the possibilities and how congruent current trends are to predictions in the book of Revelation:

In the case of the forehead the mark is the unique encrypted mathematical code called a cryptographic token assigned to our unique biometric facial measurement linked to our payment source. The mark is not a mystery. AI technology converts our unique biometric facial measurement into an encrypted code that uniquely identifies you to your payment source.

Worthy of mentioning is the Neuralink technology a coin size computer that interfaces with the brain to help patients with ALS and physical paralysis.The technology is designed to treat medical brain related diseases rather than manipulate financial technology. Most importantly the neuralink requires a very specialized robotic surgery to first open the skull, to thread thin microscopic fibres into brain tissue. I don't see the entire world population undergoing such an expensive very specialized surgery. So is this coin size brain implant the "mark" I don't think so.

Think of this strategy - as facial recognition and palm vein technology evolves, incrementally creeping into our lives, we treat the technology as normal after a while. The conditions of Revelation 13:16-17 is becoming a normal regular sustainable part of our lives and even software engineers, data scientists, and cybersecurity experts realize the gravity of their professions and daily tasks as it pertains to Revelation 13:16-17.

For generation Alpha born 2010 - 2024 and generation Beta born 2025 - 2039 this senerio may be an exciting welcome because this process is all they will know. They will learn this new system and grow up with it as the new normal. The Fintech culture that has assigned the biometric code linked to a payment source system is normal in Africa, Asia, Scandinavian countries etc. The encrypted biometric code has been in use for years as a slow creep. Biometric authorization may be a nuanced generational marker and each generation may experience a completely different impact.

Can you picture yourself standing on the other side of this senerio with this Revelation senerio ten or twenty years behind you thinking I can't remember the last time I used cash. This senerio may not be a terminal event just one of many end time markers in our earthly journey to help the Faith Community navigate the end times and intended to alert us to prepare mentally and spiritually for things to come. Revelation 13:16-17 is a marker informing the Faith Community of the global reset from using inanimate credit cards to using our own physical anatomy via biometrics as a means of making purchases and access to food and services.

Finally, Matthew 24:24 "For False messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect."

The phrase "if possible, even the very elect" means deception is possible if we fail to prepare mentally and spiritually.

The more we understand AI as a Faith Community the more peace of mind we have and the less fear and confusion we experience.

As we get understnding we may realize future changes may not be such a mystery, as esoteric, challenging or difficult as we anticipate but instead more manageable than we think in the power and wisdom the Holy Spirit provides. I remember that the Lord is our Helper and as I constantly experience Gods help I am not afraid because I am aware a loving God is with me, I have comfort because in every situation God proves to be reliable.

My Prayer is may God grant us the grace, to prepare along with the greatest measure of His Holy Spirit. https://lemuelbaker.com/why_schedule_daily_prayer_times

See Parts 1- 11 of Article here:

Part 1: AI Artificial Intelligence

https://lemuelbaker.com/ai_artificial_intelligence_

Part 2: AI Race for Dominance

https://lemuelbaker.com/ai_race_for_dominance_

AI Race for Dominance Chinese Version

https://lemuelbaker.com/ai_race_for__dominance_chinese_version

Part 3: AI Pope Leo Weighs In https://lemuelbaker.com/ai_pope_leo_weighs_in

Part 4: AI The Potential of super intelligent AI

Https://lemuelbaker.com/ai_the_potential_of_super_intelligent_ai1

Part 5: AI The Shocking Truth https://lemuelbaker.com/ai_the_shocking_truth

Part 6. Patchwork of Existing Agencies