Chinese authorities have arrested a man who allegedly created a fake news article about a train crash using ChatGPT. This is the first case of enforcement action taken in China under a new law related to artificial intelligence. The case highlights the Chinese government’s effort to regulate and control the use of AI as the technology becomes more advanced.
Police in Gansu province detained a man named Hong for fabricating a news story about a train crash that resulted in nine deaths. The article was posted on a blogging platform owned by Chinese search engine giant Baidu, with over 20 accounts sharing it and receiving over 15,000 views. Hong used ChatGPT to create slightly different versions of the fake news article to pass duplication checks on the platform.
ChatGPT is a chatbot based on generative AI technology created by U.S. firm OpenAI. The chatbot can generate responses based on user prompts and questions, including creating stories based on specific instructions. The Chinese government has introduced a new law governing “deep synthesis technologies” that prohibits the use of AI to disseminate fake news. The law was introduced as ChatGPT was becoming popular, and China’s internet is heavily censored and controlled.
While ChatGPT is blocked in China, it can still be accessed through a virtual private network. Chinese technology giants are developing their own chatbots similar to ChatGPT, but these are not yet widely available. Instead, Chinese firms have been cautious in their approach and targeted specific uses, in part, to avoid spooking regulators and the government.
Overall, the arrest of a man for using ChatGPT to create a fake news article about a train crash highlights the Chinese government’s efforts to regulate the use of AI in the country. The new law governing “deep synthesis technologies” is an attempt to get ahead of the technology, and Chinese technology giants are developing their own chatbots. While ChatGPT is blocked in China, it can still be accessed through a virtual private network.
