Big Tech of the USA applies the practice of blocking access to chatbots based on artificial intelligence to Hong Kong residents, as reported by the media.

According to the information available to journalists, in recent months Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI have limited the use of their AI tools.

A Google representative, commenting on this news, said that the technology giant strives to ensure that information is available to users. He noted that the company is currently at an early stage of creating the Bard tool and expanding its language capabilities, but ways to maximize the spread of this technology around the world are already being considered. There are no specifics in this statement.

Experts say that blocking access to chatbots for users from Hong Kong is highly likely a precautionary measure taken due to concerns that the companies’ activities will face various challenges if ChatGPT and other similar products violate the national security law of China during operation. This legislative act defines many forms of criticism of the Government as illegal statements.

Charles Mock, a former Hong Kong legislator and visiting researcher at the Stanford University Cyber Policy Center said that the law would be violated if chatbots gave answers to certain questions in such forms that are currently declared illegal.

Some Hong Kong residents were able to access chatbots through third-party applications and virtual private networks (VPNs).

China has tightened controls on deep fake technology. The reason for the adoption and implementation of this decision was the increase in the number of cases of fraud committed using artificial intelligence-based technologies. An example confirming the validity of fears is the case when a man, due to the use of deception practices against him, handed over the money to a fraudster who, using AI, introduced himself as his friend.

Many experts admit that over time, Hong Kong’s unrestricted Internet will transform into a virtual space similar to the Internet in China. The Chinese Great Firewall system is a tightly censored structure.

Hong Kong is currently making efforts to make this region a center for cryptocurrency trading. This activity is carried out against the background of disagreements between the digital assets sector and regulators in many Asian countries. At the same time, cryptocurrencies are banned in mainland China.

Julia Leung, CEO of the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission, said that ensuring clear expectations of regulators is key to stimulating responsible development.

As we have reported earlier, OpenAI CEO Calls For Global Cooperation to Regulate AI.