A man in China has been arrested for fabricating a false story about a train crash and sharing it online using ChatGPT, marking the first known case of ChatGPT misuse leading to an arrest in China. According to police in Gansu province, the suspect, identified only by his surname Hong, was detained for using AI technology to create misleading content. The story was brought to the attention of cyber security officials in Kongtong county when they discovered a fake news article claiming that nine people had died in a train accident. The story was shared by over 20 accounts on the Chinese platform Baijiahao and had been viewed more than 15,000 times before being exposed as false.After tracing the source of the fake news article to a company owned by Hong, the police searched his home and computer and discovered that he had bypassed Baijiahaos duplication check function and posted the false story on several accounts. Hong admitted to using ChatGPT to quickly generate different versions of the fake story by incorporating popular elements from past social stories.Image Source: .mm.bing.netAlthough ChatGPT is not directly accessible to Chinese IP addresses, Chinese users can still use a VPN connection to access its services. Following the announcement of ChatGPTs innovation by Microsoft and Google, Chinese IT outlets started experimenting with their versions of the technology.China has strict control over its social media platforms through firewalls to prevent any critical content against the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC). The countrys internet regulator is worried that unregulated use of deep synthesis technology could lead to its misuse for criminal activities such as online scams or defamation. As ChatGPT gained popularity, Chinese law enforcement agencies have expressed concerns and issued warnings about its use. In February, the Beijing police cautioned the public to be cautious about rumours generated by ChatGPT.Hong, the suspect in the case of spreading fake news using ChatGPT, is facing charges of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” which is punishable by a maximum of five years in prison. However, if the offence is considered particularly severe, offenders can be sentenced to up to ten years in prison and other additional penalties. This arrest is the first known case of Chinese authorities using the new provisions to regulate the use of “deepfake” technology, which officially took effect in January.
