So far, the Chinese government has made an impressive move to win the battle of public discourse. They’ve rolled out a new, more sophisticated artificial intelligence (AI) system that supercharges their censorship powers. New details have come to light about how this AI system is able to automatically flag content the government deems sensitive. This newfound capacity dramatically increases China’s ability to police online narratives. This move has taken place amid mounting pressure from international communities demanding an end to China’s censorship and communist propaganda campaigns.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C., has expressed strong opposition to what it describes as "groundless attacks and slanders against China." The embassy emphasized China's commitment to developing ethical AI practices, underscoring the nation's focus on using technology responsibly. According to critics, the new AI system, run by the CAC, acts as a tool for deepening censorship. They argue that it serves to spread military propaganda.
A Sophisticated Censorship Mechanism
China’s AI system is a giant step forward from the old censorship regime which was focused around more human labor intensive censorship efforts. Historically, the Chinese government employed basic algorithms to block content containing blacklisted terms, such as "Tiananmen massacre" or "Xi Jinping." The combination with a large language model (LLM) greatly amplifies the system’s capabilities. Today, it’s able to assess content with astonishing depth.
"Unlike traditional censorship mechanisms, which rely on human labor for keyword-based filtering and manual review, an LLM trained on such instructions would significantly improve the efficiency and granularity of state-led information control." – Qiang
This technological advancement enables the government to track anti-government posts and generate critical comments against prominent Chinese dissidents like Cai Xia. By automating these onerous processes, China is able to further control and surveil public opinion. This creates space for the government to quickly censor any narratives that deviate from its ostensible views.
Public Opinion Work and Its Implications
The role of “public opinion work” in China goes much further than censorship and suppression. It also includes a more salacious aspect — the high-level orchestration of perception through propaganda and information warfare. To that end, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) has been given lead responsibility for enforcing these actions. The result is that troublingly, it protects the narratives pushed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) more broadly, while systemically censoring these divergent perspectives.
Recent news stories have reported on the CCP’s expulsion of local officials for extreme corruption and their preference for the use of “superstitions” over Marxism. These measures are the latest example of the party’s increasing push to enforce ideological purity and silence dissent in the party’s ranks.
Rural poverty continues to be a touchstone issue in China, sometimes driving popular unrest that plays directly into the hands of critics of the government’s policies. Pollution and food safety scandals at the top of shut-up list. This is an indication of the government’s readiness to be in tune with issues that might undermine public trust.
The Role of AI in Shaping Narratives
With AI-driven censorship advancing at an accelerating pace, the tools now available enable the Chinese government to maintain a more sophisticated iron grip on public discourse. As AI models such as DeepSeek go mainstream, their potential to influence narratives is even more profound.
"I think it’s crucial to highlight how AI-driven censorship is evolving, making state control over public discourse even more sophisticated, especially at a time when Chinese AI models such as DeepSeek are making headwaves," – Xiao Qiang
In fact, financial fraud and labor disputes are scandalmongering censorship priorities. These concerns usually represent a challenge to social harmony and economic development, leading the central government to keep a vigilant eye on them. China seeks to use AI technology not just to reactively respond, but to preemptively neutralize potential sources of unrest.