In a remarkable turn of events, Xie Qingshuai has reunited with his family after being missing for nearly 25 years. His disappearance dates back to January 1999 when he was just a baby, left alone at home in Xingtai, Hebei Province, China, while his mother went shopping.
A Family's Heartfelt Search
Since that fateful day, Xie's family never ceased their search for him. Initially, they scoured the local area, but as the years passed, their search expanded to neighboring provinces and across various regions of China. In 2022, in a desperate bid to find their son, the family even offered a reward ranging from 200,000 yuan (approximately $28,000) to 1 million yuan (around $140,000) for any information leading to Xie's whereabouts.
Technology Comes to the Rescue
After more than two decades of searching without success, a breakthrough finally occurred. This was not through a familiar face recognizing Xie, but through an advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system. On November 27, 2023, police in Hebei employed a facial recognition software developed by the Beijing-based AI company, Deepglint.
Finding Xie Qingshuai
The application of this AI technology proved to be a game-changer. It allowed the police to locate Xie Qingshuai, who by then was 25 years old and living in Chengdu, a city in southwestern China. Unbeknownst to him, Xie had built a life for himself working in interior renovations and had no idea that his biological family was still searching for him.
A Long-Awaited Reunion
Upon verifying his identity, Xie was brought back to Xingtai to reunite with his family. The emotional moment was captured by local media, with Xie Kefeng, Xie's father, expressing his overwhelming joy: "I have waited for this day for 25 years." After nearly a quarter of a century apart, father and son were finally able to embrace each other.
This case highlights the incredible potential of AI technology in solving long-standing mysteries. The AI utilized in this instance employed a method known as "cross-age face comparison," which assesses facial similarities among family members while accounting for genetic relationships. This innovative approach enables the search for missing individuals even as their appearances change over the years.
Source: https://tekno.kompas.com/read/2026/08/21/16020027/25-tahun-hilang-pria-ini-bertemu-keluarganya-lagi-berkat-ai
