China reveals plans to clean up AI content distorting classic literature and ideologies

China has embarked on a crackdown on some AI-generated content due to fears it might undermine and endanger Chinese classical literature and its leading ideologies.

This also follows a rise in generative AI particularly the spread of meme culture, which, although humorous, has been found to play a big role in shaping cultural ideas.

Beijing argues that AI’s adaptations from its Chinese classic television dramas and literature are “highly deceptive.” Some parents also agree and are concerned that AI-made jokes might lead to a loss of respect for traditional classics.

China calls for a clean-up of AI-made jokes

According to SCMP, memes have been cited as one of the “key culprits” the Chinese authorities have cited recognized as risks to its ideologies and culture. Like memes, edited video clips primarily made for humor and social media traction have also proven to be part of China’s challenges in regulating AI.

The SCMP revealed that the agency that oversees state broadcasting – the National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA) last week issued a notice calling on its supervisory bodies to “clean up” all such videos that use AI to make caricatures of Chinese culture.

The broadcast watchdog noted the increasing trend of altering video clips from shows including Dream of the Red Chamber and Journey to the West. These shows are based on novels that have been hailed as some of the greatest works of Chinese literature.

The NRTA added these AI-generated jokes “seek to gain traffic without boundaries and disrespect classic intellectual properties.”

It added that these videos also go against the spirit of original works and might constitute copyright infringement. According to the broadcast watchdog, the videos also challenge traditional cultural perceptions.

The country’s top internet watchdog – Cyberspace Administration of China, has also repeatedly made calls to clean up video content that could be harmful to the young.

These calls also align with China’s ongoing campaigns to control online misinformation as well as clean up information not suitable or contrary to traditional values.

Social media platforms in China still carry the implicated videos 

Largely characterized by humor and sarcastic tone, the AI-remastered videos can still be found on Chinese social media platforms. Some of the videos are clearly labelled as AI-generated while others are not.

In one of the said videos, characters from the show, Journey to the West are featured happily riding motorcycles on their arduous journey. The show is based on a 16th-century novel about a Buddhist monk on a journey to India in the seventh century.

Beijing-based lawyer Gu Yu said that while these videos did not cause much harm to the public, they could also influence people unfamiliar with the original works.

“While new technologies should be approached with a degree of tolerance to encourage public innovation, it is also crucial to take action against works that distort basic values.”

– Yu

However, Yu highlighted that China’s AI regulation is still in an “exploratory phase,” with regulation and lawmaking lagging behind technological advances. Yu also maintains that without sufficient legal precedents, it might be challenging to create comprehensive laws. Measures are, therefore, introduced when problems arise.

Policing AI content might be a challenge for China

According to SCMP, the NRTA notice is a clear indication of one of the latest challenges the Asian economy faces in AI governance.

The country is in a fix trying to strike a balance between using the technology to optimize operations and boost the economy while also trying to tackle the adverse impacts of AI, such as the spread of deepfakes and misinformation. It also has to deal with handling its potential impact on public perception.

In China, traditional culture is critical to the Communist Party’s governance philosophy. It sees this as part of its cultural reconstruction campaign.

The country has made several efforts to regulate AI technology including its “Administrative Provisions on Deep Synthesis in internet-based Information Services,” which was implemented in January last year. This requires labeling content that might mislead or confuse the public.

Last year, China also took some measures to regulate generative AI services and issued guidelines for multimedia content labeling standards.

Some Chinese nationals support regulating the sector and cleaning up AI videos from state broadcasters. The NRTA’s request to clean up AI-remastered videos was a trending topic over the past week and ignited discussions on the social media platform Weibo microblog, attracting more than 43.4 million views and over 14,000 discussions.

Some argued that without oversight, such content could lead to serious “information pollution.” They argued that young children in junior school who have not yet read the Four Great Chinese Classical Novels are already exposed to funny videos of the Monkey King fighting with Jia Baoyu. Monkey King and Jia Baoyu are the protagonists in Journey to the West and Dream of the Red Chamber respectively.

Other online commentators have different opinions, arguing officials are “overseeing too much” limiting people’s freedom to enjoy “entertaining videos.”

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