China’s internet watchdog warns of ‘serious challenge’ to governance and regulation from latest tech advances like generative AI

The Cyberspace Administration of China sees ethical issues, like privacy leakage, can be potentially caused by AI, Web3 and other recent tech advances

The agency’s latest report reflects Beijing’s concerns about such innovations, while acknowledging the opportunities they provide

Reading Time:2 minutes

The Cyberspace Administration of China said various ethical problems, including privacy leakage and abuse, can be potentially caused by recent tech advances such as generative artificial intelligence, exemplified by ChatGPT. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 8:00pm, 23 May 2023Updated: 9:13pm, 23 May 2023

China’s internet watchdog on Tuesday warned that advanced technologies such as generative artificial intelligence (AI), exemplified by OpenAI’s chatbot app ChatGPT, could pose a “serious challenge” to governance, regulation and the labour market on the mainland.

The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) said in its latest annual report on the country’s digital economy that various ethical problems, including privacy leakage and tech abuse, can be potentially caused by generative AI, Web3, quantum computing and other cutting-edge technologies that have emerged in recent years.

The CAC’s 2022 Digital China Development Report particularly asserted the threat of so-called value penetration – a term that mainland authorities use to depict ideological transformation caused by a Western state – from the haphazard adoption of such innovations.

Generative AI describes algorithms, such as ChatGPT, that can be used to create new content, including audio, code, images, text, simulations and videos.

Immediately after ChatGPT’s launch last November, generative AI took the world by storm and prompted a number of Chinese Big Tech firms, led by Baidu and Alibaba Group Holding, to introduce their alternative chatbots to market. Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post.

Web3 is the hypothetical next-generation version of the World Wide Web, which is decentralised and distributed through the use of blockchain and similar technologies.

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x