China's Court Decisions on AI Drive Competition to Establish Standards
Chinese courts' rulings on AI highlight Beijing's push for regulatory standards. Global debates on AI-generated content rights intensify following contrasting court decisions. China's dominance in AI patent filings underscores its commitment to technological advancement.
In a groundbreaking ruling in April, a Beijing court addressed China's first verdict on an individual's voice rights. The case involved a voice actor suing multiple companies for replicating their voice using AI. The court sided with the plaintiff, finding some companies guilty of infringing on the actor's rights and ordered them to pay 250,000 yuan (US$35,000) in damages.
While China's Civil Code already safeguarded personal voice rights, this ruling marked the first application of these protections to AI-generated content.
Issues surrounding AI-generated voices are not exclusive to China. In the U.S., actress Scarlett Johansson raised concerns about OpenAI's ChatGPT voice function bearing a striking resemblance to hers, leading the company to discontinue its use.
In Japan, unauthorized "AI covers" mimicking voice actors and singers are prevalent. Although the government has initiated rule-making, the debate on rights concerning AI-generated voices is still in its infancy.
Chinese courts have been setting significant precedents. Earlier this year, a Guangzhou court ruled against a generative AI service operator enabling users to create images resembling the popular character Ultraman, citing copyright infringement and negligence. This judgment was based on the world's first law comprehensively regulating generative AI, the Interim Measures for the Management of Generative Artificial Intelligence Services, effective since August 2023.
In a landmark intellectual property case, a Beijing court in November 2023 acknowledged the copyright of images created by AI. The court upheld an individual's copyright over an image generated through a prompt-based generative AI service, ordering the infringing party to pay 500 yuan in damages.
Conversely, a U.S. court ruled last year that AI-generated artwork was ineligible for copyright registration, highlighting the ongoing global debate on the treatment of AI-produced content.
Yoshifumi Onodera, a Japanese lawyer knowledgeable in Chinese law, emphasised the significance of Chinese courts' active rulings and legislative efforts in shaping AI standards globally.
China's commitment to AI dominance is evident through collaborative efforts between the government and private sector in technology development. A Stanford University survey revealed that Chinese entities held a substantial 61.1% of global AI patents filed in 2022, surpassing the U.S. at 20.9%.
The Chinese government's 14th Five-Year Plan aims to integrate digital technologies like AI into society, with generative AI already making inroads across various industries. Li Zhihui, an expert at Japan's Nomura Research Institute, noted that the surge in court cases mirrors the rapid adoption of generative AI and the emerging legal challenges.
Chinese courts' rulings on AI highlight Beijing's push for regulatory standards.
Global debates on AI-generated content rights intensify following contrasting court decisions.
China's dominance in AI patent filings underscores its commitment to technological advancement.
Source: NIKKEI ASIA