China AI guidelines target deepfakes and voice cloning

China's Supreme People's Court issued guidelines on Monday for disputes involving artificial intelligence, including unauthorised deepfakes and voice cloning, state media reported.

State news agency Xinhua said the guidelines make clear that people cannot use AI to create or distribute recognisable digital replicas of others without consent, including cloned faces and voices.

Xinhua said the guidance also covers algorithmic price discrimination and AI-generated false information. It reported that service providers can be found legally liable if they fail to take timely action after being notified that their systems have generated content infringing on others' rights.

The guidelines offer legal recourse for someone whose face has been digitally altered and used to spread false and defamatory sexual claims, Xinhua reported.

Supreme People's Court Vice President Tao Kaiyuan said the guidelines seek to "balance development and security", according to a transcript of a Monday press conference published on the court's website. Tao said they aim to clarify procedural rules in AI-related disputes while leaving room for later clarification on issues where consensus is difficult to reach.