Apparently, China has reconsidered its stance on artificial intelligence (AI).
As accusations surfaced that it had barred its residents' access to the popular AI chatbot ChatGPT, the Chinese government has decided to incorporate the technology into everyday life.
China's Stance on AI
On Friday, Feb. 24, officials from China's Ministry of Science and Technology announced that the country places great significance on AI research and development. According to Business Insider's report, it now plans to push for its widespread use in all facets of the economy and social fabric.
The head of the high-tech department of China's Science and Technology Ministry, Chen Jiachang, spoke about AI at a news conference on Friday. He stated that such innovation has enormous application potential in various sectors, as the National Business Daily reported.
During a press event, the minister admitted that ChatGPT is a current trend but cautioned that all technological advances have both benefits and drawbacks. He said Beijing would endeavor to take some matching measures in terms of ethics.
Related Story: China Blocks Uncensored ChatGPT AI Services; Is CCP Restricting Chatbot Usage?
Blocked ChatGPT-based Services
Speculation that Chinese authorities are clamping down on the AI chatbot was stoked by a Wednesday story, Feb. 22, which came on the heels of allegations that it had barred access to ChatGPT.
China-based users are unable to use services with ChatGPT features due to regional restrictions. Although ChatGPT is blocked in the nation, the bot has generated a great deal of interest among its citizens, who are resorting to creative measures to utilize it, such as the usage of virtual private networks (VPN).
The Great Firewall, the world's largest and most sophisticated censorship system, has long blocked mainland access to Google, Facebook, and other popular sites. So, it is not impossible if China is doing this again with the viral ChatGPT AI tool.
Notably, these restrictions have shielded Chinese tech businesses from outside competition, helping them prosper.
Chinese AI Chatbots
Meanwhile, the biggest names in Chinese tech want to introduce their own AI chatbots.
The statement by the official comes after Alibaba and Baidu, two of China's largest technology companies, declared their intentions to create their own AI chatbots.
A representative for the online retailer Alibaba revealed earlier this month that similar technology to ChatGPT is in development. It is now undergoing company-wide testing.
Baidu, China's version of Google, said on Wednesday that it would debut its own AI chatbot, named Ernie Bot, in March. Business Insider obtained a document from Baidu CEO Robin Li, in which he announced plans to include Ernie Bot into the company's search and cloud services, as well as its smart vehicle operating system.
According to the document, Li believes that "AI technology has reached a tipping point, and all industries will inevitably go through [the] transformation."
