China’s Supreme People’s Court issues guidelines on deepfakes and AI
China’s Supreme People’s Court has issued guidelines on disputes related to artificial intelligence, including unauthorized deepfakes and voice cloning. The document is intended to provide guidance for the judicial consideration of such cases, Channel NewsAsia reports.
Digital copies without consent
According to the state-run Xinhua news agency, the guidelines clarify that people may not use AI to create or distribute digital copies of other individuals who can be identified from them without their consent. This includes cloned faces and voices.
The judicial explanations also cover disputes over algorithmic price discrimination and false information generated with AI. In recent years, artificial intelligence technologies have enabled users to easily create content that convincingly imitates the appearance and voice of real people.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Service providers’ liability
Service providers may be held legally liable if, after being notified that their systems created content violating the rights of others, they fail to take timely action. As an example of possible legal protection, Xinhua cited a situation in which a person’s digitally altered face was used to spread false and defamatory sexual claims.
Tao Kaiyuan, vice president of the Supreme People’s Court, said the guidelines are intended to balance development and security. According to her, the document clarifies procedural rules for disputes related to artificial intelligence. Issues on which it is currently difficult to reach consensus were left open for further clarification after practical experience has been accumulated.
Chinese authorities are investing significant funds in the development of domestic AI technologies. In July, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for stronger risk awareness and for ensuring the safety and controllability of artificial intelligence.
