China’s cyberspace regulator on Friday released new regulations to oversee the online development of “digital people,” requiring clear labeling and banning services that could deceive children or encourage addiction. Under the proposed rules from the Cyberspace Administration of China, any content featuring “digital people” must carry visible labels and is prohibited from offering “virtual intimate relationships” to people under 18.
The regulations also prohibit using others’ personal information to create digital people without their consent, or using it to bypass identity verification systems, reflecting Beijing’s efforts to maintain control in the face of advances in artificial intelligence.
Reuters writes that digital people are also prohibited from distributing content that endangers national security, incites the overthrow of state power, promotes secession or undermines national unity. The document advises service providers to prevent and resist content with sexual overtones, that depicts horror, cruelty or incites discrimination based on ethnicity or Region. Providers are also encouraged to take necessary measures to intervene and provide professional help when users show suicidal or self-harming tendencies.
China has made clear its ambition to aggressively adopt AI across the economy in a new five-year plan released last month. The push comes alongside a strengthening of governance in the booming industry to ensure safety and align with the country’s socialist values.
The new rules aim to fill the governance gap in the digital human sector by setting clear boundaries for the healthy development of the industry, according to an analysis published on the regulator’s website. “The governance of digital virtual humans is no longer simply a matter of industry norms; rather, it has become a strategic scientific problem that concerns the security of cyberspace, public interests, and the qualitative development of the digital economy,” the analysis says.