China has recently seen its first instance of AI-related arrests following the reported detainment of a man for allegedly using ChatGPT to generate false news concerning a train collision. According to Futurism, the false story had suggested that nine people had died because of the incident. The man, identified only as “Hong,” was charged with “provoking trouble” and “picking quarrels.”
As reported by Gizmodo, Hong is speculated to have come up with several versions of the false news story and used several fake Baijihao accounts, a news blog network operated by Chinese search engine Baidu, to distribute it. Through such accounts, the man sought to gain approximately 15,000 clicks. Additionally, Hong reportedly owns a company that works with various blog platforms based in Shenzhen, a major tech hub in China.
Seemingly due to this incident, the country has implemented its newly-established “Administrative Provisions on Deep Synthesis for Internet Information Service,” which came into effect in January. This requires all AI-generated content to be clearly labelled and sourced, as well as to conform to certain political views and maintain good public opinion. It is also noteworthy that the law restricts the use of certain chatbots such as ChatGPT, of which Hong may have employed, and bans their circulation unless connecting through a VPN.
In order to aid the implementation of this law and better protect against deepfakes, China’s go-to digital regulator has effectively released its own AI chatbots designed to abide by Chinese guidelines.
Hong’s arrest under the novel laws serve as a reminder of the progress made in artificial intelligence and its potential for misuse. AI-generated content is a growing concern and is becoming harder for authorities to detect every day, which may result in more defamation and fraud. Thus, it is essential for governments to continue their efforts to suppress these unlawful activities and create an environment where safety and freedom of speech is not compromised.
