Two decades after implementing the “great firewall,” Xi Jinping-led Chinese government is reportedly testing artificial intelligence systems to ensure they align with socialist values.
What Happened: The Cyberspace Administration of China is compelling tech giants and AI startups, including ByteDance, Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. BABA, Moonshot, and 01.AI to participate in a mandatory government review of their AI models, reported Financial Times on Wednesday, citing multiple people involved in the process.
It involves testing the AI’s responses to a range of questions, many related to China’s political sensitivities and President Xi. The CAC’s local branches are conducting the reviews, including examining the AI’s training data and safety procedures.
An employee at a Hangzhou-based AI company said that they didn’t pass CAC’s audit in the first round, but after months of ” guessing and adjusting” they were able to fly through.
Chinese experts assert that TikTok-parent ByteDance has made the most significant progress in developing a large language model that effectively echoes Beijing’s official narratives, the report noted.
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Why It Matters: According to China's operational guidance that was published in February, AI companies must collect thousands of sensitive keywords and questions that violate “core socialist values” and update them weekly.
As a result, most Chinese chatbots reject queries about sensitive topics. In May this year, China introduced a large language model based on President Xi Jinping’s political philosophy.
Meanwhile, a survey conducted in July 2024 revealed that 83% of Chinese respondents are using generative AI, significantly surpassing the global average of 54% and the 65% adoption rate in the U.S.
China has also surged ahead in the global race for generative AI patents. According to a UN report published earlier this month, China has filed six times more generative AI patents than the U.S.
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