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China’s AI video rush is a wake-up call for the world
The technology aims to narrow the gap with the US, and it’s opening a Pandora’s box.
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Globally, sentiment is souring against AI-generated content. There’s also been mounting scrutiny of the sector’s environmental footprint.
PHOTO: PEXELS
Catherine Thorbecke
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Chinese technology companies are racing ahead with artificial intelligence (AI) tools that can turn text into short videos. The public release of a handful of AI video generators from big companies and start-ups aims to show how the country is narrowing the gap with the US when it comes to the technology. But they are simultaneously opening a Pandora’s box, allowing anyone to create short clips from almost any prompt they can imagine.
I tried some out. They wouldn’t give me any videos of Chinese President Xi Jinping breakdancing, but one did make a clip from my headshot that removed my jacket and shirt when I was testing what these could potentially be used for. While the videos were not always of high quality, I was still ultimately left feeling sorry for a generation of girls and young people who are growing up with this technology so easily accessible.
