China has blocked OpenAI’s ChatGPT over fears the American company will use the AI to spread propaganda.
Major tech companies nationwide have been ordered not to offer the chatbot to the public, specifically firms in the social media app business.
The ban is due to ChatGPT generating replies that the Chinese Communist Party would otherwise censor, according to Nikkie Asia.
However, users have found a workaround with a virtual private network (VPN) and dozens of ‘mini programs’ released by third-party developers on Tencent’s WeChat social media app that claim to offer services from ChatGPT.
The report states that Chinese regulators told tech firms Tencent and Ant Group (a subsidiary of e-commerce giant Alibaba) to restrict access to ChatGPT and report to officials prior to releasing their own chatbots.