China has joined the European Union and the United States in combating disinformation by introducing new rules that require labeling of content created by artificial intelligence, Bloomberg reports.
According to an announcement by the Cyberspace Administration of China on March 14, service providers must clearly mark such content either through explicit labeling or through metadata encoded in the files. The new rules will take effect on September 1.
These measures aim to reduce the risks associated with the spread of disinformation, in particular through the use of generative artificial intelligence to generate text, images and audio. It also stipulates that app store operators will verify whether apps provide AI-powered content creation services and review labeling mechanisms.
The Chinese government says the rules will help users identify misinformation and hold service providers accountable for their content, but platforms can continue to provide content without labeling as long as they comply with the rules and respond to user requests.