The suspect, identified as Hong, used ChatGPT to generate a fake news story about a train crash that allegedly killed nine people.
Chinese authorities have arrested a man accused of using ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence-driven text generator, to create and spread a fake news article about a train crash.
This is the first criminal case related to ChatGPT in China and around the world.
The suspect, identified as Hong, used ChatGPT to generate a fake news story about a train crash that allegedly killed nine people.
The story was reported by 25 Baijiahao accounts, a blog-style platform owned by China’s tech giant Baidu, with IP addresses from different locations.
It quickly went viral on social media with 15,000 views, prompting an investigation by the authorities. Hong is currently in custody facing charges of spreading false information online.
The use of ChatGPT to create fake news is a growing concern, as the technology becomes more widely available and accessible.
ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence program that can generate human-like text, making it difficult for readers to distinguish between real and fake news stories.
The Gansu police authorities arrested Hong under the first-of-its kind law governing “deep synthesis technologies” which China introduced this year. The law states that deep synthesis services cannot be used to disseminate fake news.
The Chinese government has been cracking down on the spread of fake news and misinformation online in recent years.
The arrest of Hong is seen as a strong message from the authorities that they will not tolerate the spread of fake news and will take action against those who use ChatGPT or other technologies to create and spread false information.
The arrest is part of a 100-day campaign launched by the internet division of the Ministry of Public Security in March to combat the dissemination of internet rumours.
Accessing ChatGPT in China is only possible through a virtual private network (VPN) as it is blocked by the country’s internet restrictions.
Despite this, Chinese tech giants are developing their own chatbot rivals to ChatGPT, which are not widely available.
These firms have been cautious in their approach and are targeting specific uses to avoid upsetting regulators and the government, analysts told CNBC. For instance, Alibaba’s Tongyi Qianwen AI product will soon be integrated into its DingTalk workplace communication software and Tmall Genie, which provides smart home appliances.
