China ‘:’ A New Standard for Protecting AI-created Content
In China, a new standard has been formally issued for the labeling of all AI-generated content. This directive comes after a series of incidents involving AI-generated content, where popular online content erroneously deletes real people’s faces and names personal data. These incidents have drawn attention towards the misuse and spreading of AI-generated information, necessitating a standardized approach to protect the content and its creators.
The guidelines, jointly enforced by the Cyberspace Administration of China (YCAC), the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), the Ministry of Public Security (MPS), and the National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA), is set to take effect from September 1. The purpose of these regulations is to combat the misuse of AI and the spread of false information, ensuring a safe online environment for the public.
The specifications include various categories of AI-generated content, such as texts, images, audios, videos, and virtual scenes. Each must be visibly and invisibly labeled. For deep synthesis technologies that may confuse or mislead the public, explicit labels must be placed in a reasonable position to ensure public awareness. These labels can be within the generated content or user interfaces, provided they are easily perceptible to users. Additionally, implicit labels must be added to the metadata of generated content files, including details about the content’s attributes, the service provider’s name or code, and content identification numbers.
Service providers disseminating content online must verify that their metadata files contain implicit AIGC labels and have declared the content as AI-generated or synthesized. Prominent labels should be added around the content to inform users, a provision that is particularly critical in the case of false information proliferation.
The guidelines aim to establish a fair and enforcement-effective standard for labeling AI-generated content, building a positive online environment for everyone. Attention should be drawn to this significant development and the importance of public awareness to prevent the misuse of AI technologies.