Man Reportedly Uses ChatGPT to Generate Fake News, Detained in China

A man in the northwestern province of Gansu, China, has been detained for allegedly using the viral chatbot ChatGPT to generate fake news and publishing them online, according to a report by SCMP.

This is likely the first instance of detention related to the use of artificial intelligence in the country.

ChatGPT Generates Fake News

The misuse of AI chatbots including how it could proliferate misinformation online has been a concern for many, and China's internet regulator has also raised worries about using synthesis technology, including deep fakes for online scams.

It has implemented measures such as "clear labeling" of videos and images created using AI and published in the public domain.

According to the report from SCMP, the fake news of a train accident that killed nine people was discovered by officials from a county police bureau. The article was published by more than 20 accounts on the blog platform Baijiahao, which is operated by Baidu.

Following the news gaining more than 15,000 clicks, authorities managed to track it down to a company owned and run by the suspect.

The company owned personal media platforms in Southern China, and while searching for the suspect's residence, the police discovered a computer and took him into custody.

The suspect is believed to have committed the offense of "picking quarrels and provoking trouble," which carries a maximum prison sentence of five years. However, if the crime is deemed severe, the penalty could be extended to 10 years, and additional penalties may also be imposed.

It is worth noting that ChatGPT is not directly available to users in China due to internet censorship and the Great Firewall. However, users in China can still access ChatGPT through a Virtual Private Network (VPN) that bypasses the restrictions imposed by the Chinese government on internet access.

ChatGPT's Ability to Write News Articles

ChatGPT's large language model enables it to generate various responses to prompts and it has consistently shown that it can create news articles. For example, German magazine editor, Anne Hoffmann, was fired for publishing an AI-generated interview with former Formula One champion Michael Schumacher.

The tabloid's front page carried the headline, "Michael Schumacher: The first interview!" accompanied by a photo of the retired racing driver. A smaller headline on the same page reads, "It sounds deceptively real."

During April Fools, TechCrunch reported a story about Krablr, a real-time crab pricing engine, developing a generative AI tool that supposedly communicates to crabs and encourages them to breed more and boost yields.

However, the story was generated by ChatGPT and it was meant to be an April Fool's joke.

The case in China highlights the potential dangers of using artificial intelligence for malicious purposes, such as creating and spreading fake news. This highlights the need for better regulations and standards regarding the use of AI technology in journalism and other fields.