China brings new rules to root out fake news created with AI, bots

Failure to follow them could be considered a criminal offence, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) said, without offering details on punishments

China has issued new rules banning online video and audio providers from using artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality technologies to produce "fake news".

The regulation published Friday by China's cyberspace authority said that both providers and users of online video news and audio services are "not allowed" to use new technologies such as deep learning and virtual reality to create, distribute and broadcast "fake news".

"Fake news" has been generalised to mean anything from a mistake to a parody or a deliberate misinterpretation of facts.

The rules come into effect on January 1, 2020.

Failure to follow them could be considered a criminal