For the first time in history, a person was arrested via ChatGPT

Chinese authorities detained a man for using ChatGPT to write fake news. This was the first case of arrest for the misuse of artificial intelligence.

The man, surnamed Hong, «used modern technical means to produce fake information and spread it on social media ,» representatives of the Ministry of Public Security of Gansu Province said.

The crime became known after police discovered a fake article about a railroad accident that killed nine people. The article was posted on several accounts on the Baidu platform and was viewed by more than 15,000 people before being removed by administrators.

Further investigation revealed that Hong used ChatGPT artificial intelligence technology, which is not available in China but can be accessed via VPN. Using AI, the Chinese resident created viral fake news, which he distributed.

Authorities said that the production and large-scale distribution of the material means that Hong will be held responsible for the «serious crime» of «inciting hatred and provoking fear,» a crime punishable by at least five years in prison.

Interestingly, in 2021, Japan arrested a citizen who used AI to remove censorship restrictions from pornographic films — according to local laws, genitals are always hidden by blurring the image. AI allowed him to restore the original image, which he then sold.

These are not the first and not the last cases of AI being used for criminal purposes, so many countries are trying to take care of the regulation of the new technology as soon as possible.