Douyin, the Chinese cousin of the short video app TikTok, will ban artificial intelligence-generated content (AIGC) used to spread rumors or misinformation.
"It is prohibited to use generative artificial intelligence technology to create or publish content that violates scientific common sense, engages in fraud, and spreads rumors," Douyin said Wednesday on China's do-everything app WeChat.
The platform's crackdown comes at a crucial time, as China is seeking to catch up with the U.S. on artificial intelligence technologies after American companies such as OpenAI started setting the norms.
The Chinese government heavily censors content on its social media platforms that may be perceived as anti-government. Beijing perceives the need to regulate AI use in order to counter dissenting views.
Meanwhile, Douyin, owned by the social media titan ByteDance, which also operates the globally renowned TikTok, is intensifying its focus on GenAI amid the rapid evolution of this technology.
Chinese experts have emphasized the necessity of such regulations to ensure the artificial intelligence industry's orderly development. Douyin's actions against accounts misusing AI to create virtual humans for inappropriate content underscore the coming age of content manipulation.
"This regulation is necessary, as it aligns with policy guidance and meets the needs of platform development. With quick development of AIGC (artificial intelligence generated content), it is essential to have regulations in place to label the content and make clear the accountability," Liu Dingding, a technology industry observer, told the Chinese nationalist newspaper Global Times on Wednesday.
Douyin's official directive is part of a broader five-point regulation aimed at the platform's creators, live-streamers, users, and merchants, urging responsible use of GenAI.
Newsweek has contacted Bytedance for comment.
Douyin's new guidelines on GenAI also include a mandate for publishers to "prominently mark the content generated by artificial intelligence to help other users differentiate between virtual and reality, especially confusing scenes."
The regulatory landscape for GenAI in China is also evolving. The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) and six other ministries introduced temporary rules in July aimed at promoting the sector's sound development, safeguarding national security, the public interest, and protecting individual rights, Global Times reported on Wednesday.
The CAC emphasized the dual-edged nature of GenAI's rapid development, bringing new opportunities and challenges, such as misinformation and infringement of personal rights, Global Times reported on Wednesday.
ByteDance is actively pursuing moderation and exploration of the new field, noting an increase in GenAI-related job openings and the launch of new tools. It is positioning itself alongside leaders like OpenAI's ChatGPT and Sora, Hong Kong newspaper South China Morning Post reported on Wednesday.
As ByteDance continues to expand its footprint in the GenAI space, with more than 320 related job openings recently listed, Douyin's regulatory measures reflect the Chinese technology giants' desire to stay ahead of the transforming landscape of AI as tensions with the U.S. prevail.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Aadil Brar is a reporter for Newsweek based in Taipei, Taiwan. He covers international security, U.S.-China relations, and East Asian ... Read more
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