China Implements Rules for Chatbots to Follow Party Line
China is taking a step back from the recent artificial intelligence (AI) investment frenzy, as the Cyberspace Administration of China issues Beijing's first set of rules for chatbots. The regulations focus specifically on what is known as generative artificial intelligence. The rules state that companies must abide by the Chinese Communist Party's strict censorship rules and reflect "socialist core values" whilst avoiding anything that undermines "state power" or national unity. Companies producing chatbots are also required to register their algorithms and ensure that they create truthful content that respects intellectual property rights. China is acting quickly in the hopes of establishing itself as a leader in this emerging technology sector.
Chatbots use large chunks of internet data to formulate responses and must abide by China's censorship rules, which are continually changing and often restrict access to specific periods of the country's past, such as the Tiananmen Square massacre. As a result, experts are divided on whether AI can be trained to be consistently accurate whilst adhering to non-negotiable political ideas. However, the new regulations will likely undergo revisions following further consultation with China's technology companies.
China's push towards AI is not solely about political censorship, though, as the country seeks to address data ownership, intellectual property rights, and privacy issues through its new regulations. Beijing's establishment of the National Data Bureau in March is part of this effort, as officials attempt to clarify the definition of data ownership and encourage companies to build the necessary data sets. While China's regulations may be transformative, it is still unclear whether they will help or hinder the country's burgeoning AI industry.
