With the rapid advancement of AI, AI deepfakes, synthesis, and other forgery technologies have triggered new security issues, posing severe challenges to digital identity security. Consequently, vein recognition technology, which offers superior security, is embracing new growth opportunities.

At a recent symposium on the construction of security infrastructure for AI trusted identity authentication, Zheng Zhiming, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said that as AI increasingly transitions from digital realms into physical spaces, three fundamental capabilities — trusted data, trusted identity and trusted computing — will support its healthy development. In this new era of physical intelligence, trusted identity is no longer just a "premium add-on." Instead, it serves as an essential trust infrastructure bridging data environments and physical environments. Without trusted identity, trusted data cannot exist, and trusted computing cannot be successfully implemented.

Huang Yi, chairman of the Digital Security Technology and Service Branch of the China Safety Industry Association, pointed out that the domestic biometrics and trusted identity market is projected to surpass 34 billion RMB in 2026, maintaining a stable compound annual growth rate of 18 percent. A massive structural shift is underway within this market: Privacy-focused biometrics (such as vein and palmprint recognition) are surging ahead with a 29.6 percent growth rate. This rapid expansion far outpaces traditional facial recognition, demonstrating powerful market momentum.

According to Zhao Guodong, chief technology officer of biometric technology firm Saint Deem, external biometric features, such as facial profiles and voiceprints, are now facing systemic threats from advanced AI forgery and deepfake technologies. In contrast, vein recognition utilizes subcutaneous vein patterns inside the human body for liveness verification. This approach delivers distinct security advantages, including being impossible to replicate, exceptionally difficult to spoof, inherent liveness detection, and superior privacy protection.

Vein recognition technology relies on two core capabilities working together: high-precision imaging technology and intelligent algorithms. As AI algorithms continue to upgrade, vein recognition is rapidly evolving from a standalone authentication method into a foundational capability for multimodal trusted identity platforms.

Future identity authentication will no longer serve merely as a gateway for system login. Instead, it will transform into an essential identity infrastructure for all AI entry points, such as AI agents, intelligent robots, smart vehicles and intelligent terminals.

Aligned with this vision, Saint Deem is pioneering a trusted cryptographic key-binding technology powered by vein recognition. By integrating unique human vein patterns with cryptographic keys, this innovation establishes a brand-new security paradigm for critical use cases in the AI era, including digital asset ownership verification and intelligent terminal authorization.

Currently, this technology has already been implemented across multiple scenarios. In the smart transit sector, public transport groups in places like Wenzhou city in Zhejiang province, and Chengde city in Hebei province, have begun promoting palm vein payment systems, allowing passengers to pay for their rides with a simple wave of their palm.