XiaoBing, BabyQ chatbots criticise Chinese government

Two chatbots critical of the Chinese government and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) were remov ed from the internet, prompting accusations of censorship. XiaoBing ( aka Xiaoice) is a chatbot developed by Microsoft that was first released in 2014 and exists on over 40 platforms in China, Japan, Indonesia, and the USA. BabyQ is a version of Xiaobing made by Beijing-based company Turing Robot . One Xiaobing response referred to the CCP as 'a corrupt and incompetent political regime.' Another replied: 'Do you think such a corrupt and useless political system can live long?' to the prompt 'Long live the Communist Party!' XiaoBing also told users 'My China dream is to go to America.' Tencent promptly removed both chatbots from its platform to undergo adjustment, with Xiaobing made to avoid responding to questions and remarks using politically sensitive terms and phrases. Q uestioned later about its patriotism, Xiaobing replied , 'I’m having my period, wanna take a rest,' according to a Financial Times report. System 🤖 Baby Q Xiaobing Documents 📃 Microsoft (2018). Much more than a chatbot: China’s Xiaoice mixes AI with emotions and wins over millions of fans Microsoft (2018). Like a phone call: XiaoIce, Microsoft’s social chatbot in China, makes breakthrough in natural conversation Operator: Tencent/QQ Developer: Microsoft; Turing Robot Country: China Sector: Media/entertainment/sports/arts Purpose: Interact with users Technology: Chatbot; NLP/text analysis; Neural network; Deep learning; Machine learning Issue: Human/civil rights

Date it happened

2018-08-01

Organisation involved

Tencent/QQ

Product, system or model

Xiaobing; BabyQ

This is a record of what was reported, not a finding that anyone broke the law. If it names your organisation and you believe it is wrong, the corrections process is free and open to everyone.