Four prominent China-based tech companies have successfully launched their own artificial intelligence AI chatbots to the public on August 30th, following the recent endorsement from the Chinese government.
Baidu, Baichuan Intelligent Technology, SenseTime, and Zhipu AI have rapidly unveiled their chatbot offerings within two weeks of the government’s enactment of official AI legislation on August 15th. This legislation mandates government approval for the launch of AI-based products targeted at the mass market.
To secure this approval, companies must undergo security assessments and provide evidence of compliance with established standards. The regulations encompass 24 guidelines, necessitating features like mandatory labels for AI-generated content and holding service providers accountable for content produced via their platforms.
Reports from local Chinese media suggest that an additional 11 firms have also secured government authorization for their AI products, including TikTok’s parent company ByteDance and Tencent Holdings.
Baidu, in particular, has drawn a parallel between its newly introduced chatbot, Ernie Bot, and the widely known ChatGPT application developed by Microsoft-backed OpenAI.