China’s provisional guidelines for artificial intelligence (AI) activity and management in the country are scheduled to come into effect on Aug. 15.
The regulations, which were published on July 10, are referred to as the “Generative AI Measures” and are the result of a joint effort between six government agencies including the Cybersecurity Administration of China (CAC), the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Science and Technology.
These will be the first set of AI rules to be implemented in the country in the wake of the recent boom in AI development and will be overseen by the same agencies that created the measures.
The 24 guidelines include measures that will require platforms that provide AI services to register them and undergo a security review prior to public release. The Chinese government will also be mandating labels for artificially created content.
Earlier in the year, China banned any AI-generated images of its president Xi Jinping.
Additionally, the measures require that all data and foundation models should be sourced from “legitimate sources” that respect the intellectual property rights of the creators, have appropriate consent and don’t undermine user privacy.
Similarly, the guidelines will hold service providers accountable for anything created through their platform.
The draft version of the regulations, which was released back in April included specific monetary fines for anyone deviating from the guideline, though it has since been removed. Instead, the service providers will need to address problematic content within a three-month period.
The regulations aim to create a middle ground between state control of the technology and a welcoming environment for innovation in the sector. China has been actively developing its AI scene, with local tech giants like Alibaba creating a rival to the popular chatbot ChatGPT.
Meanwhile, the U.S. has only begun to mull over regulating AI, with no concrete guidelines set to come into effect in the near future.
On June 14, the European Union parliament passed its AI Act bill, which is a sweeping legislative framework for member states regarding AI regulation. Prior to it becoming law, members of the EU will be able to negotiate final details.
Canterbury MP Rosie Duffield has resigned from the Labour Party.
The 53-year-old MP is the first to jump ship since the general election and in her resignation letter criticised the prime minister for accepting thousands of pounds worth of gifts.
She told Sir Keir Starmer the reason for leaving now is “the programme of policies you seem determined to stick to”, despite their unpopularity with the electorate and MPs.
In her letter she accused the prime minister and his top team of “sleaze, nepotism and apparent avarice” which are “off the scale”.
“I’m so ashamed of what you and your inner circle have done to tarnish and humiliate our once proud party,” she said.
Since December 2019, the prime minister received £107,145 in gifts, benefits, and hospitality – a specific category in parliament’s register of MPs’ interests.
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Ms Duffield, who has previously clashed with the prime minister on gender issues, attacked the government for pursuing “cruel and unnecessary” policies as she resigned the Labour whip.
She criticised the decision to keep the two-child benefit cap and means-test the winter fuel payment, and accused the prime minister of “hypocrisy” over his acceptance of free gifts from donors.
“Since the change of government in July, the revelations of hypocrisy have been staggering and increasingly outrageous,” she said.
“I cannot put into words how angry I and my colleagues are at your total lack of understanding about how you have made us all appear.”
Ms Duffield also mentioned the recent “treatment of Diane Abbott”, who said she thought she had been barred from standing by Labour ahead of the general election, before Sir Keir said she would be allowed to defend her Hackney North and Stoke Newington seat for the party.
Her relationship with the Labour leadership has long been strained and her decision to quit the party comes after seven other Labour MPs were suspended for rebelling by voting for a motion calling for the two-child benefit cap to be abolished.
“Someone with far-above-average wealth choosing to keep the Conservatives’ two-child limit to benefit payments which entrenches children in poverty, while inexplicably accepting expensive personal gifts of designer suits and glasses costing more than most of those people can grasp – this is entirely undeserving of holding the title of Labour prime minister,” she said.
Ms Duffield said she will continue to represent her constituents as an independent MP, “guided by my core Labour values”.