China has introduced draft safety regulations aimed at companies that offer artificial intelligence (AI) services, focusing on measures to ensure the ethical use of AI technology. These proposed regulations, released by the National Information Security Standardization Committee, which includes representatives from the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and law enforcement agencies, are designed to oversee the use of generative AI.
Generative AI, such as OpenAI's ChatGPT, has the capacity to perform tasks by analyzing historical data and generating new content, like text and images. The committee's recommendation includes the implementation of a security assessment for content used in publicly accessible generative AI models. Any content exceeding "5% illegal and harmful information" will be blacklisted, which includes material promoting terrorism, violence, subversion of the socialist system, harming the country's reputation, or undermining national cohesion and social stability.
The draft regulations also emphasize that data that has been censored on the Chinese internet should not be utilized as training material for these models. These developments come soon after Chinese regulators approved the launch of artificial intelligence-powered generative chatbots by several Chinese tech companies, such as Baidu, for public use.
The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) had already mandated that companies provide security assessments to the regulator before introducing AI-based services to the public since April. In July, the cyberspace regulator issued guidelines for these services, which were seen as less burdensome than the measures initially proposed in the draft in April.
The newly published draft security regulations aim to ensure that organizations involved in training AI models obtain explicit consent from individuals whose personal data, including biometric information, is used for training. Additionally, the guidelines include comprehensive instructions on avoiding infringements related to intellectual property.
Various countries are currently working to establish regulatory frameworks for AI technology. China views artificial intelligence as a significant area for competition and has set ambitious goals to become a global leader in the field by 2030. These regulations are part of China's broader efforts to ensure the ethical and responsible use of AI and data to advance the country's AI ambitions while maintaining control over its development.
