BackChina arrests man for spreading fake news using ChatGPT, wanted to earn money through clickbait
China's man allegedly used ChatGPT to post a fake news article related to a train accident that left 9 people dead
PremiumIn what appears to be the case of the first arrest for the use of the artificial intelligence platform ChatGPT, a man in China was arrested for writing fake news stories with the help of the AI platform. The man allegedly posted a fake news article related to a train accident that left 9 people dead. The article was published on multiple accounts on Baidu Inc.’s blog-like platform Baijiahao and accumulated over 15,000 views. The accused confessed that he posted fake articles to earn money from clickbait, the police said.
The man, surnamed Hong, “exploited modern technological methods to fabricate fake information, and proceeded to spread it on social media," the public security bureau of northern Gansu province said in a press release posted on WeChat.
Additional inquiries exposed that Hong had been utilizing chatbot technology, a technology not readily available in China but could be accessed through VPN networks, to edit viral news articles that he would later share again. During the investigation, Hong stated that he had learned from his friends on WeChat how to earn money through clickbait.
Talking about the offenses Hong was arrested for, the police said as the article was viewed by a large number of people the accused is liable for the “major crime" of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble" and the offenses can lead to at least five years in prison.
The incident showcased another misuse of the generative artificial intelligence platform like ChatGPT. Several technology leaders have warned against the potential for misuse of the platform and issues like replacement of jobs, plagiarism, cheating is already out in the open.
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