China to Mandate Labeling of AI-Generated Material to Protect Against Fake News

China has followed the EU and the US in introducing new regulations on content created by generative artificial intelligence, requiring that such materials be labeled to prevent the spread of false information.

Image Source: Google DeepMind / unsplash.com

The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), along with three other agencies, announced a new set of regulations that will require developers to label AI-generated content. The labels will either be part of the AI-generated content itself or added to the metadata. The new requirements go into effect on September 1.

The introduction of such measures is explained by the rapid development of generative AI, which is capable of creating content in any format: text, images, and even imitation of the human voice. In Europe, the requirement to label AI content is enshrined in the regional “AI Law,” and in the United States, a similar requirement is contained in the executive order signed by President Joe Biden.

«The labeling law will help users identify misinformation and hold service providers responsible for labeling their content. This is intended to reduce abuses related to AI-generated content,” the Chinese agency said in a statement. The law also requires app store administrators to check whether software hosted on their platforms has this feature.

However, platforms can still offer AI-generated content without labeling as long as they comply with relevant regulations and provide such content upon user request. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Public Security and the National Radio and Television Administration of China also participated in drafting the new rules.