Authorities in Beijing have declared that AI chatbots must reflect “the core values of socialism.”
China’s cyber security laws mean that all chatbots will be required to censor politically sensitive topics and will be forbidden from spreading information that calls for “overthrowing the socialist system” or “inciting to split the country”.
According to The Telegraph:
The Chinese Communist Party has ordered that all new AI bots are presented for a security review before they are released to the public.
The country’s internet regulator said: “The content generated by generative artificial intelligence shall reflect the core values of socialism, and shall not contain subversion of state power.”
China has already moved to block ChatGPT, the bot developed by Silicon Valley start-up OpenAI that has surged in popularity.
Some US-made chatbots will provide links to news articles if asked about atrocities such as the persecution of Uighur Muslims by the Chinese states.
The crackdown comes as China’s tech giants race to launch new tools that can challenge ChatGPT.
Alibaba, the Chinese e-commerce giant, revealed a bot called Tongyi Qianwen this week. The chatbot, which works in both Chinese and English, will be plugged into its workplace messaging software and used to draft emails.
Recently launched AI tools such as ChatGPT and Tongyi Qianwen can be used to write articles, compose songs or provide answers to internet search queries. Similar “generative” AI tools have been developed to create almost photorealistic fake images and videos.
Under rules announced by the Cyberspace Administration of China, AI will also be required to stop the spread of false information, racist posts or obscene content. The bots should also comply with copyright laws.
Researchers who develop technology that fails these tests could face fines of 100,000 yuan (£11,000), or criminal sanctions if they break other laws.
Thousands of scientists recently called for a six-month pause on the development of more powerful AI tools.
The letter, signed by billionaire Elon Musk, warned that the bots could already spread fake news or channel human biases. Rapid advances in the technology also risked creating an existential threat to humanity, the letter warned.
