First ChatGPT arrest in China over fake train crash news

Chinese police have detained a man for allegedly generating fake news of a train crash and disseminating it online using artificial intelligence technology to concoct information and post it on multiple accounts in what was reported to be Chinas first arrest for misuse of ChatGPTPolice in northwestern Gansu province said in a statement on Sunday that a suspect surnamed Hong had been detained for using artificial intelligence technology to concoct false and untrue informationThe case first caught the attention of the cyber division of a county police bureau when they spotted a fake news article that claimed nine people had been killed in a local train accident on April 25 the Hong Kongbased South China Morning Post reported on MondayThe cybersecurity officers in Kongtong county found the article simultaneously posted by more than 20 accounts on Baijiahao a blogstyle platform run by Chinese search engine giant BaiduThe stories had received more than 15000 clicks by the time it came to authorities attention it saidThe Gansu public security department said Hong was suspected of the crime of picking quarrels and provoking trouble a charge that normally carries a maximum sentence of five years But in cases that are deemed especially severe offenders can be jailed for 10 years and given additional penalties the Post reportedThis is the first time the public has been made aware of an arrest by Chinese authorities after Beijings first provisions to regulate the use of iquestdeepfakeiquest technology officially took effect in January it saidAlso readMumbai Mans body with multiple stab wounds found near GhatkoparMankhurd link roadThe police said they traced the origins of the article to a company owned by the suspect Hong which operated personal media platforms registered in Shenzhen in Guangdong province in southern China Some 10 days later a police team searched Hongs home and his computer and detained himThe statement said Hong confessed to bypassing Baijiahaos duplication check function to publish on multiple accounts he had acquired He input the elements of trending social stories in China from past years into ChatGPT to quickly produce different versions of the same fake story and uploaded them to his Baijiahao accounts it saidWhile ChatGPT is not directly available to Chinese IP addresses Chinese users can still access its service if they have a reliable VPN connectionChinese IT outlets were experimenting with their versions of the ChatGPT after Microsoft and Google announced their innovationsChina closely monitors its social media through firewalls especially Sina Weibo which has over 592 million users to ensure no critical content against the ruling Communist Party of China CPCChinas top internet regulator has long voiced concern that unchecked development and use of deep synthesis technology could lead to its use in criminal activities such as online scams or defamationAs ChatGPT has gone viral in recent months Chinas law enforcement agencies have repeatedly voiced suspicion and even warnings about the technologyIn one of the first comments on the chatbot made by the Chinese security apparatus police in Beijing specifically warned the public in February to be wary of ldquorumoursrdquo generated by ChatGPT the Post reportedThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever