While ChatGPT was taking on the rest of the world, China did not want in. Several tech giants in the region have already begun working on an artificial intelligence chatbot application. Despite this, OpenAI’s creation has garnered immense traction in China. Now, regulators in Beijing have ordered Chinese firms to restrict access to ChatGPT.
According to sources, Ant Group is allegedly seeking to block the AI application on their public platforms. It is expected that ChatGPT will be disabled on their website or through third parties. Prior to being removed by Tencent, the chatbot service had been made available to select users across the nation via third-party WeChat apps. In addition, Chinese tech firms will need a green signal from regulators before rolling out their own AI chatbots.
This latest move was largely attributed to China’s censorship issues. An executive from a prominent tech firm said,
“Our understanding from the beginning is that ChatGPT can never enter China due to issues with censorship, and China will need its own versions of ChatGPT.”
Baidu, a Chinese search engine, is currently working on its own version of ChatGPT. This is expected to launch in March, during which it might undergo stringent oversight by Chinese regulators.
But why is China taking down ChatGPT?
The Chinese government believes that AI technology like ChatGPT is being employed to spread propaganda. China Daily, a government-controlled media house, released a video called “How the US uses AI to spread disinformation.” This video spoke about how ChatGPT was employed as an American propaganda tool.
Furthermore, the video also accuses ChatGPT of facilitating widespread misinformation campaigns by the United States and the West.
This comes from the longstanding tensions between the two countries. According to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Beijing may be able to “lethally” assist Russia in the Ukrainian war, which further prompted fears of a potential new Cold War. The accusations were disputed by the Chinese Foreign Ministry, which also blamed Washington for circulating misleading information.