In China, the government is contemplating new artificial intelligence (AI) development regulations which are being updated to include acquiring a license before releasing generative AI systems.
The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) wishes to require local companies to obtain a license before releasing generative AI systems, according to a Financial Times report dated 11 July.
This action signifies a tightening of April’s initial draft regulations, allowing companies to register it with the appropriate authorities ten business days after the product launch.
According to sources cited by the FT, the new licensing scheme is expected to be included in upcoming regulations that will be released by the end of this month.
In the April draft of the regulations, mandatory security evaluations of AI-generated content were also included.
In its draft, the government stated that all content must “embody core socialist values” and not “subvert state authority, advocate the overthrow of the socialist system, incite national division, or undermine national unity.”
Baidu and Alibaba, two Chinese tech and e-commerce companies, have published AI tools this year, rivaling the popular AI chatbot ChatGPT.
According to sources cited in the FT report, both companies have contacted regulators in recent months to ensure that their products adhere to the new regulations.
In addition to the implications of the forthcoming regulations, the draft also states that the Chinese government holds tech companies that develop AI models fully accountable for any content produced using their products.
Global regulators have advocated for the regulation of AI-generated content. Senator Michael Bennet recently penned a letter to tech companies developing the technology to designate AI-generated content in the United States.
Vera Jourova, vice president of the European Commission for Values and Transparency, recently told the media that she believes generative AI tools with the “potential to generate disinformation” must label the content they produce to prevent the dissemination of disinformation.
