The Chinese government released an official document Thursday outlining the government's latest guidelines and policies for artificial intelligence programs.
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) struck a more positive tone regarding the development of AI models, saying that the technology can and should support "core socialist values."
Ant Group exhibits at the 2023 World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai, China display the development achievements of trusted AI base stations, AIGC+ meta-universe, AIoT blockchain and other fields. (Photo by Costfoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images / Getty Images)
The CCP document states that AI models developed within China cannot generate content that "incites subversion of state power and the overthrow of the socialist system, endangers national security and interests, damages the image of the country, incites secession from the country, undermines national unity and social stability, promotes terrorism, extremism, national hatred and ethnic discrimination, violence, obscenity and pornography," according to translations by the South China Morning Post.
The rules are slated to go into effect on Aug. 15 of this year.
Visitors visit the MIDU booth at the 2023 World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai. MIDU, a language intelligence technology company, demonstrated a versatile AI model at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference. In addition to knowle (Photo credit should read CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
This guiding document is an evolution of China's previous restrictions on AI development, which demanded technology firms submit a security assessment directly to the CCP for consideration.
The rules released Thursday apply only to firms making their technology available to the public, allowing greater room for trial and error among firms still privately honing their products.
Signage for Baidu Inc. at the Baidu Technology Park in Beijing. (Photographer: Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Multiple Chinese companies have developed models in the style of ChatGPT, including the Alibaba Group, MIDU and Baidu.
China and the U.S. are currently locked in a back-and-forth feud over access to the latest computing technologies.
Beginning Aug. 1, China will be implementing export restrictions on metals and materials derived from gallium and germanium. The two minerals are crucial to the production of technologies such as semiconductors and solar cells.