High Hopes for AI in China

Hopes are high for AI in China. Not only, according to prevailing narratives, will the country’s advanced artificial intelligence enable it to rival the United States in a critical field of emerging tech, but this act of one-upmanship will also help to cement China’s role as a great power and ensure that it avoids another “Century of Humiliation” — the roughly 100-year period from the First Opium War to the end of WWII, when foreign powers dominated China and carved off chunks of its territory.

However, state media have recently begun cautioning AI’s cheerleaders that they need to tone it down.

AI in Its Infancy

An article last month in the China News Publishing & Broadcasting Journal reminded readers that AI-generated content (AIGC) is still “in its infancy” and can’t be expected to perform miracles just yet. It urges Chinese media to “avoid blindly following trends” and buying into “excessive hype.”

Challenges Faced by Newsrooms

For some newsrooms, AI in its “infancy” is behaving more like a problem child than a wunderkind. The powerful Cyberspace Administration of China made the stakes clear in an article in People’s Daily earlier this year, stating that AI could do for China in the 21st century what the Industrial Revolution did for the UK in the 19th century.

Success Stories and Failures

Some ventures have been successful, such as Chengdu Radio and Television’s collaboration with over ten other provincial stations to create AI videos promoting local features. However, many others have promised more than they can deliver, with reports of AIGC studios failing to produce expected content.

Overhyped Output

AI has generated hype globally, but the nature of China’s political system makes it harder to call out the hype publicly. State media and tech companies have been promoting the big promises of AI while overlooking the challenges faced by outlets trying to implement this technology.

The Future of AI in China

AI is still an evolving technology, full of uncertainties. While China’s leadership is determined that this is the way forward, it remains to be seen how media outlets will make the promise of AI a reality.