CHINA / SOCIETY
Chinese officials, internet companies highlight new technologies in addressing online rumors, restoring facts in news spreading
Published: Apr 23, 2023 12:25 AM
Cybersecurity. Photo: VCG

Photo: VCG


Chinese officials, internet companies and scholars highlighted importance of new technologies including those related to artificial intelligence (AI) generated content in addressing online rumors and cyber violence in order to safeguard a healthy cyberspace at a forum on Saturday.

Addressing the China Internet Media Forum on Saturday in Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu Province, Liu Yang, vice president of short video platform Kuaishou said the platform has some 500 machine recognition models which can accurately crack down more than 80 million items of illegal content each month.

Liu stated that Kuaishou has implemented the most stringent standards to regulate online content, enforced the most severe measures to crack down on violations, and adopted the most comprehensive approach to protect users. As a result, non-compliant content will not be tolerated on the platform.

With the new technology, big data and artificial intelligence, 360 security company has also participated in a series of campaigns led by China's cyberspace authority in cracking down on cyber infiltration and cyber violence and increase the cost of violations, according to Liu Zhaohui, the deputy vice president of 360 security company, at the forum.

The security company has also engaged in targeting cybercrime, rumors, telecom fraud using new technologies, Liu Zhaohui added.

Hu Zhengrong, director of the Institute of Journalism and Communication Studies in the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, viewed technology, especially new emerging technology as one of the key factors in preventing and identifying false information in terms of cyberspace governance.

Hu listed the AIGC-X platform released by People's Daily's national key laboratory of communication content cognition as an example.

AIGC-X can accurately identify text, graphics and video content generated by AI to prevent the risk of forgery. The accuracy rate of Chinese text detection has exceeded 90 percent, which has broad application prospects in content security and content risk control such as content copyright, paper plagiarism, false information and academic fraud, the Global Times learnt at the forum.

But Hu said the building of a healthy cyberspace is not a single system of single factor but a coordinated system consisting of multiple factors.

One of the highlights Hu mentioned is the importance of what kind of value orientation internet platforms and media support.

Other key factors in cyberspace governance mentioned by Hu are "online products," "discipline," "users" and "types of business." Hu told the Global Times that actually all factors to build a healthy and sound cyberspace ecosystem are in place in China, but the role of each factor needs to be further strengthened and factors between factors need more coordination.

Wang Meng, deputy director of information office at the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the CPC Central Committee, believed the pursuit of "facts" in a timely manner and reveal the facts with details is most persuasive pathway to dismiss rumors and quiet down public opinion and bring information sharing to a balanced, objective, rational, balanced and in-depth position.

During an event that stokes public opinion, the investigation of the facts often gradually evolves into certain of emotional catharsis and even cyber violence, under the hype of various opinions instilled and comments made by we-media accounts, Wang noted.

Does that mean that facts themselves are not important anymore in new media communication? Wang raised the question. He said no matter how entertained and emotional the audience are, the cause of their concern and the motivation to participate in the discussion are all related to facts.

Sometimes, an information vacuum is created precisely because a fact cannot be released in a timely and sufficient manner. This creates an opportunity for misinformation to spread under the guise of seeking the truth, said Wang.