Mainland China’s press, media, and internet are all heavily regulated by the government. In the past, Google worked with its government to develop a search engine, specifically for the region that would keep users from venturing into sites or viewing information that that government deemed detrimental to public wellbeing. Terms like “Muslim” or “Winnie the Pooh” result in either heavily censored results or none at all. Additionally, mainland China’s data laws require all companies to be able to give the government access to their data should it be requested. This law has caused many companies operating in the nation trouble, as refusal can result in being ejected from the market entirely.
These data laws come into direct contention with the treatment of data in western territories. Companies like Google and Mozilla have recently been taking steps to increase user privacy by removing tracking cookies from their browsers. Similarly, the development of artificial technology is being monitored and used in ways that remain within the guidelines set in place by law. As China’s usage of technology has already been used to enforce its dubiously stated standards, it remains a possibility that more advanced AI could tighten its grip.
It’s unlikely that an advanced AI used by China’s government would be allowed to impact western nations in any way that would cause widespread panic. Though tensions between the West and China could lead people to expect cyber attacks. Lambrinidis’ call for unity is warranted. The ambassador spoke about China's massive censorship of voices critical of its government, saying “in Xinjiang, we see face recognition, voice recognition, and movement recognition being used in a very specific way by a very specific government that has very specific goals.”
While approaching the issue as a unified front is essential, it’s good to treat the problem with a steady hand. China’s neglect of human rights shouldn’t be used as a springboard for preemptive action against the nation, even digitally. Human rights are an issue isolated from the advancement of artificial intelligence and should be treated as such. In the unlikely event that a Chinese cyber attack was revealed to be government-sponsored, more expedient action would be warranted.
Source: Washington Examiner
from ScreenRant - Feed https://ift.tt/36oW4Pt
No comments: