The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), along with other authorities, issued interim measures on Thursday to regulate the generative AI industry.
"The Measures", slated to take effect on August 15th, encompass a wide range of areas, including algorithm design, data training, the use of large language models (LLMs), and protection of user privacy and intellectual property.
According to "The Measures", providers of generative AI services will be required to obtain a license to operate. If an AI service provider discovers "illegal" content, it should take steps to stop generating that content, improve its algorithms and then report the material to the relevant authorities.
Security assessments must be conducted by these service providers to ensure the safety and integrity of user information.
To address concerns surrounding the generation of misleading or false information, commonly referred to as "hallucination," the regulatory authorities stress the importance of implementing effective measures to enhance transparency, accuracy, and reliability in AI services.
Regarding the protection of personal privacy and intellectual property, "The Measures" require generative AI service providers to ensure that these rights are not violated, and recommend the use of legal data sources.
Relevant government authorities, such as the CAC, National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, among others, should enhance their supervision and inspection of generative artificial intelligence services in line with their respective responsibilities, "The Measures" said.
Simultaneously, companies operating in this sector should actively cooperate with regulatory bodies and ensure compliance with the law. They are required to provide comprehensive explanations concerning various aspects of the data-training process and extend necessary technical assistance when requested.
"The Measures" also highlight the need for effective measures to prevent underage users from relying too much on or indulging in AI-generated services.
The stunning performance of OpenAI's ChatGPT has prompted numerous Chinese companies and entrepreneurs to venture into the generative AI sector. Tech giants including Alibaba, Baidu, and Huawei has rolled out their own LLMs and ChatGPT-like products. According to reports, there are more than 70 LLMs have been developed in China thus far.
While the boom in generative AI has brought greater productivity, it has also brought misinformation, privacy violations, bias, safety risks, inequality, ethical concerns, and more. Therefore, proper regulations are necessary and helpful to facilitate the responsible and sustainable development of this technology.
The EU is currently in the process of finalizing its AI Act, which would require generative AI systems, such as ChatGPT, to be reviewed before commercial release. Currently, regulation of AI in the US is still in its early stages, but federal agencies have been actively engaged in exploring AI policy and issuing guidelines.
Cover image by Markus Spiske on Unsplash