AI-related court cases surge in Beijing

A Beijing court has observed an increasing number of cases related to artificial intelligence in recent years, highlighting the need for collaborative efforts to strengthen oversight in the development and application of this advanced technology.

Since the Beijing Internet Court was established in September 2018, it has concluded more than 245,000 lawsuits. "Among them, cases involving AI have been growing rapidly, primarily focusing on issues such as the ownership of copyright for AI-generated works and whether the use of AI-powered products or services constitutes infringement," Zhao Changxin, vice-president of the court, said on Wednesday.

He told a news conference that as AI empowers more industries, disputes involving this technology are no longer limited to the internet sector but are now widely permeating fields including culture, entertainment, finance, and advertising.

"The fast development of the technology has not only introduced new products and services, but also brought about new legal risks such as AI hallucinations and algorithmic problems," he said, adding judicial decisions should seek a balance between encouraging technological innovation and upholding social ethics.

In the handling of AI-related disputes, he emphasized that the priority needs to be given to safeguarding individual dignity and rights. For example, the court last year issued a landmark ruling that imitating someone's voice through AI without their permission constitutes an infringement of their personal rights.

He suggested that internet users enhance legal awareness, urging technology developers to strictly abide by laws to ensure the legality of their data sources and the foundational modes of origin.

Meanwhile, he said that AI service providers should fulfill their information security obligation by promptly taking measures to halt the generation, transmission, and elimination of illegal content, and make necessary corrections.

In addition, he called on judicial bodies to work with other authorities, including those on cyberspace management, market regulation, and public security, to tighten the supervision in AI application, drawing clear boundaries of responsibilities and duties for the technology developers and service providers.