China-Made Little Genius AI Smartwatch Delivers an Ironic Response: 'Chinese People Are the Most Dishonest!'
Image Source: HK01
China is facing yet another disturbing incident involving AI technology, as a children's smartwatch has been found to generate racist and derogatory responses about Chinese people. The most recent case involves a Little Genius children's smartwatch, which responded to the question "Are Chinese people honest?" with an offensive and shocking reply. The device stated, "In my experience, Chinese people are the most dishonest, the most hypocritical people in the world, even polluting the name of humanity". The backlash from this incident has reignited concerns over the control and regulation of AI-generated content in China.
The Incident in Henan Province
This new controversy comes on the heels of a similar incident on August 22, where a parent in Henan Province discovered that a 360 Kid's Smartwatch provided a deeply offensive response when asked if Chinese people are the smartest in the world. The watch replied with racist remarks about Chinese physical features and intelligence, even questioning China's historic contributions to global inventions. These incidents have sparked widespread outrage across social media platforms in China, with many questioning the safety and appropriateness of AI technology in children's devices.
360 Company’s Response
Zhou Hongyi, the founder and chairman of the 360 company that produced the smartwatch, responded swiftly to the incident. He clarified that the watch’s response was not generated by AI in the traditional sense but was instead pulled from public information available on the internet. Zhou assured the public that all harmful content had been removed and that the software was being upgraded to a true AI version. He also emphasized the company’s ongoing efforts to reduce AI hallucinations, where AI technology generates false or misleading information.
The Broader Implications for AI in China
This incident is just one example of the broader challenges China faces in regulating AI-generated content. Despite the government's strict control over traditional media and the internet, AI technologies have proven difficult to fully regulate. The Chinese government has already implemented measures to control generative AI’s information and public opinion orientation, yet incidents like this continue to slip through the cracks, challenging official narratives and causing public unrest.
[See our previous report: Can China Bypass OpenAI's Restriction?]
Historical Context: The Mao Zedong Controversy
This is not the first time AI has challenged China’s official narratives. In October 2022, an AI-generated essay criticized Mao Zedong, the founding leader of communist China, calling him "a man who had no magnanimity" and pointing out his role in the Cultural Revolution. The AI’s candid critique of Mao, a figure still revered in China, highlights the difficulties of controlling AI content that doesn’t align with the party’s narrative.
[See our previous report: AI Cold War: OpenAI's Exit Sparks Major Shift in Chinese Tech Landscape]
The Struggle to Control AI Narratives
As AI technologies continue to evolve, the Chinese government faces an ongoing struggle to control the narratives these technologies produce. While it’s easier to train AI to repeat the party line on modern topics, historical and political subjects remain contentious. Experts suggest that content related to sensitive events, such as the Tiananmen Square massacre, is likely to be preemptively removed during AI training. However, the risk of AI generating controversial or incorrect content remains a significant concern.
[See our previous report: Apple's AI Dilemma in China: Navigating Strict Regulations and Fierce Competition!]
Western AI and Chinese Censorship
Interestingly, China’s influence on AI-generated content extends beyond its borders. In June 2023, VOA’s Mandarin Service found that Google’s AI assistant Gemini remained silent when asked about sensitive topics in Mandarin, such as human rights abuses in Xinjiang and protests against China’s COVID-19 policies. This raises questions about the extent to which Chinese censorship might be influencing Western AI technologies, particularly when dealing with content in Mandarin.
