China reports first arrest over fake news generated by ChatGPT
A man was arrested in China's Gansu province for allegedly using ChatGPT to create a fake story about a train crash. This marks the country's first arrest in an AI-related investigation, as China tightens regulations on deepfake technology.
The fabricated story claimed that a train crash had killed nine construction workers in a city in Gansu, gaining over 15,000 clicks on social media after being published on April 25. The police bureau of Pingliang city reported that a total of 25 Baijiahao accounts, a blog-style platform owned by China's tech giant Baidu, reported on the "accident" with IP addresses from various locations.
In response to deepfake technology, China has introduced new rules that prohibit service providers and users from using such technology to produce, share, and spread false information. These rules came into effect on January 10 and are intended to curb the use of generative AI technology to manipulate online content.
According to the police statement, the suspect, surnamed Hong, was identified and arrested for concocting false information after police traced all the accounts and found his company's involvement. Hong allegedly edited ChatGPT-generated news and uploaded it on the Baidu-owned platform. Investigations are ongoing.
