China regulator flags AI labeling failures at ByteDance apps

China's cyberspace regulator said on Tuesday that operators of three ByteDance products were summoned for failing to effectively label AI-generated content.

The Cyberspace Administration of China said in a statement that recent inspections found problems involving the video-editing app CapCut, known as Jianying in China, the Catbox app and the Dreamina AI platform, known as Jimeng in China.

CapCut is a popular video-editing app, while Catbox allows users to create, share and interact with AI-generated virtual characters and stories. Dreamina is a generative AI creation platform focused on image and video generation.

The statement said the products violated China's Cybersecurity Law and regulations on generative AI services and on the labeling of AI-generated and synthetic content.

Local cyberspace authorities have taken enforcement measures against the platforms in accordance with the law, including summoning their operators, ordering rectification, issuing warnings and imposing strict penalties on responsible personnel.

A CAC official said websites and platforms must strictly abide by legal requirements and fully implement rules on labeling AI-generated and synthetic content.

Cyberspace authorities will continue to strengthen supervision over labeling in order to safeguard public interests and promote the healthy and orderly development of AI, the official said.