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Chinese web and AI giant Baidu has suggested its long experience of working with local regulators means it, unlike others, is ideally positioned to bring artificial intelligence services to the Middle Kingdom.

Speaking on the conglomerate's Q1 earnings call, CEO and co-founder Robin Li told investors the recently-released Ernie generative AI chatbot has been well received by customers and regulators alike.

"To comply with regulatory requirements any new technology, product or service must undergo government review and approval before large scale deployment," Li explained.

"During our testing of Ernie Bot, we have engaged in close discussions with regulators [and] found that the principles of content review or generative AI are quite similar to those applied to search."

Along the way, Baidu learned that "For important and sensitive topics, we have to make sure AI will not hallucinate" a term used for chatbots frequently presenting falsehoods.

China recently announced regulations for generative AI that include a requirement for its output to reflect the party line. Li embraced that approach. "We believe that regulators are actively engaged in generative AI in the early stage while raising the bar to entry and we are well positioned for that," he said.

"Baidu has been operating search in China for more than 20 years and has extensive experience with Chinese culture and regulatory environment, which we believe will help us navigate the regulatory landscape," he added.

"Overall, we are thrilled about the prospects that lie ahead with Ernie Bot," he enthused.

But good luck to any of you hoping to use non-Chinese AI in apps to serve users behind the Great Firewall. Google and Bing neither of which is accessible in China can also shelve any plans for an AI-inspired comeback. OpenAI can probably forget China entirely for the forseeable future.

Li was also happy to report that Baidu's cloud which is named "AI Cloud" even though it also offers vanilla IaaS and PaaS turned its first profit. The CIO explained that "phasing out low-quality projects and businesses" helped to make that possible the same route rival Tencent took when trying to turn around its cloud.

Tencent does not detail the performance of its cloud business but has reported that increased sales of some cloud services contributed to a return to positive growth for its business services unit.

Both companies are in rude health. Baidu reported Q1 revenue of $4.5 billion, up ten percent, and net income of $848 million compared to an $885 million loss in the same period of 2022.

Tencent posted quarterly revenue of $21.1 billion, and operating profit of $7 billion year-on-year growth of 11 percent and 32 percent respectively. The giant's key WeChat service topped 1.3 billion monthly active users, and its QQ.com messaging service recorded 597 million users. Growth was slow for both, so Tencent is a long way behind Meta's combined audience. But Tencent's products are more deeply interwoven into commercial services.

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Baidu boss says good luck talking AI to Beijing if you don't understand censorship - The Register

Republicans worried that any new rules would lead to increased censorship of conservatives, while Democrats feared theyd open the floodgates for online hate speech and disinformation. Now those arguments are starting to resurface in an entirely new debate.

From the frequent invocation of Section 230 during OpenAI CEO Sam Altmans Senate testimony on Tuesday to a squabble over disinformation and censorship at a separate Senate hearing on the governments use of automated systems, familiar battle lines over social media are at risk of being redrawn as Congress turns its gaze to AI.

The same muscle memory is coming back, said Nu Wexler, a partner at public relations firm Seven Letter and a former Democratic congressional staffer who has worked at Google, Facebook and other tech companies.

A return to the politics of those earlier tech disputes will make it harder for the two parties to come together on AI policy. And even if they can stay united, lawmakers will likely need to look beyond censorship, disinformation, political bias or other issues raised by social media if they want to produce meaningful AI rules.

One reason many lawmakers are viewing AI through a social-media lens, say some on the Hill, is the basic knowledge gap around an extremely fast-moving new technology.

Without discussing anybodys names, some members of the House and Senate have no idea what theyre talking about, said Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), the ranking member on the House Science Committee, in an interview with POLITICO on Thursday.

During a Tuesday hearing of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, ranking member Rand Paul (R-Ky.) accused the government of colluding with social media companies to deploy AI systems that would surveil and censor your protected speech.

Paul later told POLITICO he wont work on AI legislation with committee chair Gary Peters (D-Mich.) until the Democrat acknowledges that online censorship is a real problem.

Everything else is window dressing, Paul said. Were fine to work with [Peters] on it, but well have to see progress on defending speech.

In a conversation with reporters after Tuesdays hearing, Peters said he shared Pauls concerns about AI and civil liberties. But he also stressed that AI is a lot broader than just related to potential misinformation and disinformation.

Its a topic that we should consider but its also a very complicated topic, Peters said.

The mood was less partisan during Altmans testimony before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law. But tech topics that typically spark intense fights were still front and center.

Senators from both parties, including Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), questioned the potential for AI systems to promote online misinformation about elections. Others, including Judiciary Chair Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and ranking member Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), questioned Altman about Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. The provision protects online platforms from legal liability over content posted by users. Attempts to reform the 27-year-old internet law for the modern social media era have repeatedly snarled over partisan disputes around censorship, disinformation and hate speech. And Section 230 might not even apply to AI systems a notion that Altman repeatedly tried to convey to the senators on Tuesday.

Its tempting to use the frame of social media, but this is not social media, said Altman. Its different, so the response that we need is different.

Lofgren, whose congressional district includes a chunk of Silicon Valley, shares Altmans sense that Section 230 is not really applicable to AI. Apples and oranges, really, she said.

And if lawmakers hope to tackle politically fraught topics like disinformation, Lofgren said a federal data privacy bill would be more effective than new rules on AI. If you want to get into manipulation, then you have to get into how you manipulate, which is really the use and misuse of personal data, the congressmember said.

Wexler said its too early to tell whether congressional efforts to rein in AI will end up trapped by the same partisan gridlock that has derailed meaningful rules on social media. While acknowledging that the warning signs are there, he also pointed to clear areas of agreement particularly on the need for greater study and more transparency into AI systems.

And while Lofgren thinks Congress should stop conflating social media with AI, she sees few signs of a similar partisan divide at least for now. Could that emerge? Maybe, she said. But I think everybody realizes this is a technology that could turn the world upside down, and we better figure it out.

Other observers, however, believe its only a matter of time before the political feuds that undercut congressional efforts to unite on other tech issues emerge on AI.

The left will say AI is hopelessly biased and discriminatory; the right will claim AI is just another woke anti-conservative conspiracy, said Adam Thierer, senior fellow for technology and innovation at the R Street Institute, a libertarian think tank.

The social media culture wars are about to morph into the AI culture wars, Thierer said.

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'We better figure it out': The politics trap that could slow a national AI ... - POLITICO

DeSantis' takeover of education disturbing

It was very disturbing to read on the front page May 12 that Florida has rejected dozens of social studies textbooks and worked with publishers to edit dozens more in an effort to scrub the books of historical events and contemporary issues of race and social justice.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has campaigned for this and he has gone too far!

It is very worrisome to see his words translated into a policy that restricts access to our history and current events, and prevents our students from becoming knowledgeable citizens.

More: Governor bans funding for college diversity programs

More: How to send a letter to the editor

It is essential to create an environment that encourages students to explore and discuss contested topics; Floridas education policy does not foster such an environment.

In The New York Times article, Florida Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. said textbooks should focus on historical facts and be free from inaccuracies or ideological rhetoric, but this policy actually disregards the teaching of historical facts.

We should all be concerned about Floridas future graduates and DeSantis authoritarian takeover of Floridas educational system.

Linda Heller, Sarasota

A proposed 18-story condo building on North Palm Avenue should be opposed.

This monstrosity, called Obsidian, would violate the 18-story height restriction for bayfront area buildingsthrough the improper use of over 70 feet (five stories) of space between floors.

More: Projects making progress in The Quay despite One Park Sarasota's stalled status

It also would be built on a lot too small for a 342-foot building (more than twice the height of the nearest building), providing insufficient space for setbacks.

Simply put, this monstrosity is totally inconsistent with the Palm Avenue Arts District and must be rejected.

Paul T. Hess, Sarasota

Human numbers have greatly exceeded the carrying capacity of our planet. A recent Scientific American piece makes the case for the benefits of reducing our population: Population Decline Will Change the World for the Better.

Population reduction would ease pressure on nature, improve gender equity and reduce the need for our current global mass migration of desperate people. Studies show a reduced population could lead to a future with more opportunity and an increase in per-capita income.

Some claim that shrinking human numbers would hurt the economy, without considering the massive costs of ecosystem collapse, the mass species extinction underway and severe weather from ongoing human-caused climate disruptions.

You simply cannot have infinite growth on a finite planet.A future of sustainable abundance for humanity is possible.It starts with less childbearing.

Peter Burkard, Sarasota

The recent notifications of poor air quality (elevated ozone levels) in Sarasota County were cause for alarm! (Ive lived in Los Angeles, so I know poor air quality!)What has astounded me since moving to Florida in 2017 is how we treatthe air we breathe. There is constant open-air burning as property developers clear land.

Its outrageous how close to communities they allow piles of trees and other growth to smolder as they clear land where wildlife used to live, with trees that once gave off oxygen.

In addition, Florida has no vehicle emissions control (or any type of vehicle inspection). For evidence of that, see the thick black smoke that flatbedtrucks exhausts spew like chimneys on the road today.

It's also a drag when you move to an area with beautiful beaches you cant use because of red tide, whichcauses even more respiratory irritation.

Hopefully, the vital research being conducted by Mote Marine will eventually help abate these conditions in the Gulf.

I recall when Gov. Ron DeSantis pledged to be a protector of the environment.Guess that was another false flag. J. Roxy Myzal, Venice

State and national legislators avoid the subject of gun control for fear of losing campaign contributions from the National Rifle Association.

Maybe when one of the big politicians loses a loved one to gun violence, he or she will do something to regulate weapons of mass destruction!

Wayne L. Derr, Holmes Beach

The Opinion page invites readers to tackle our "Online Question of the Week."

Ready? Here it is:

If you were throwing a dream dinner party and could invite one prominent local or state figure to attend as a guest, who would it be and why?

Heres some guidance on your answers: Feel free to be funny, clever and/or imaginative, but please, lets not be mean.

Email your responses by Thursday, May 18, toeditor.letters@heraldtribune.com.

We will publish the best responses Saturday, May 20, at https://www.heraldtribune.com.

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Governor's shocking censorship of school textbooks - Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Images are unavailable offline.

Minister of Public Safety Marco Mendicino speaks to reporters in the foyer of the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Dec. 14, 2022, regarding Bill C-21.

Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press

Re Scrubbed out words. Banned books. Stop the assault on reading, from the left and right (Editorial, May 5): The problem with censorship is that once you begin to bowdlerize, deciding when or where to stop can be difficult. As witnessed in many repressive regimes around the world, it may be more efficient just to eliminate the source of the offending words, for as George Bernard Shaw cheekily observed Assassination is the extreme form of censorship.

Paul Thiessen Vancouver

Banning words is a slippery slope that eventually leads to the censorship and removal of entire books, as we are seeing in Republican-led states to our south. Publishers should accept that readers are intelligent enough to discern that different times had different words. Leave books alone.

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Frank Malone Aurora, Ont.

People want to ban and censor books? Please, not Captain Underpants! I cant be the only father of boys that owes his sons literacy to this series of books.

Wayne Nickoli London, Ont.

Re Fair play? (Letters, May 5): Fellow Canadians and hockey lovers, stop whining about American dominance of the NHL. Forget about the NHL; lets form our own league with Canadas top teams playing the NHL (American) and European champions.

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Ed Janicki Victoria

I applaud the letter writer calling out the NHL and Commissioner Gary Bettman on their anti-Canadian stance. This has been demonstrated time and time again in addition to the scheduling bias of the Toronto-Florida series. Under Mr. Bettman, the NHL has shown no interest in placing another team (or two) in Canada. He is most interested in expanding in the U.S., especially in the south where Houston is waiting in the wings for a franchise. Both Quebec and Hamilton have been rebuffed in their attempts to have a franchise (in Quebecs case trying to get theirs back). The reasons for rejection are dubious. Consider Mr. Bettmans unapologetic support for the Phoenix Coyotes: They will never leave Arizona, even though they are in financial trouble and play in a somewhat temporary shabby arena. Im sure Quebeckers are not amused.

Another indication that Canada is out, is talk of expanding the NHL to Europe and even Australia. Whither Canada and our most cherished sport?

Robert Milan Victoria

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Re Why we need prizes for women and non-binary authors (April 29): Thanks to Susan Swan and her colleagues for establishing the Carol Shields Prize for Fiction, rewarding women writers for their splendid contributions to literature. Im a 74-year-old geezer who discovered the power of womens stories three or four decades ago reading Gabrielle Burtons Heartbreak Hotel. I continue to read a bunch of guys (just recently catching up with Ian McEwans excellent tales) but toss a new Miriam Toews, an Emma Donoghue, a Kate Atkinson, maybe an old one of our Margarets, or, indeed, a Carol Shields on to my stack of books and Im a happy old guy.

Glenn Allen Rockingham, Ont.

Re Chanel No. 5 is introduced (Moment in Time, May 5): A century has passed since the launch of Chanel No. 5 and 78 years since the end of the Holocaust. That is not enough time to forget or pardon Coco Chanels virulent antisemitism and collaboration with Nazis. Celebrate Chanel as you wish but do not omit the context of her success and its cost in human suffering and death. Let readers choose whether her fashion designs are of greater importance than her human-rights abuses.

Moses Shuldiner Toronto

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Re The Liberal gun bill with a glaring hole at its centre (May 4): All this back and forth over assault guns and hunting guns seems to overly complicate the issue. Hunters can ask for larger-calibre centrefire rifles for hunting deer, moose, bears, coyotes and wolves. Waterfowl and game birds are hunted with shotguns that have a range of no more than 200 metres. Assault-style, large-magazine guns dont fit either of these needs so ban them, buy them back, get rid of them. Its that simple.

Martin Pick Cavan, Ont.

The Liberals, and the majority of the country, want to ban assault-style firearms that are regularly used in crimes and murders. But they dont want to to upset the (small but very vocal) hunting community, some of whom, for some reason, feel the need to use such lethal weapons to kill animals and birds.

Can I point out that, for the vast majority of these hunters, this is just a hobby, like marathon running, sports betting, or bowling? So, a widely popular ban on lethal weapons is being shelved in deference to a hobby?

Can these people not be persuaded to take up a less violent hobby, say mah-jong or even paintball if they really need to shoot something?

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Luke Mastin Toronto

I have to shake my head at all the talk of guns to be banned. This is to make it illegal to possess certain weapons with the understanding that those who would use them to do harm to other people, will refrain from doing so. Those people dont obey the current gun laws, so what on Earth would lead one to believe they will magically obey the new ones? This is simply making it harder for law-abiding hunters and target shooters, all of whom have undergone training and police clearance, to enjoy their sport, and have zero impact on reducing violent gun crime. Talk about a shot in the dark.

Don Bowes Burlington

Re Who owns Teck its shareholders, or the government? (Opinion, May 3): Canadas federal government must ensure that Teck Resources remains Canadian controlled and headquartered. The loss of true Canadian headquarters (not the temporary nominal headquarters offered by a foreign acquirer) would mean the loss of the following: executive decision-making, grooming of Canadian executive talent, research/development/design, legal and accounting business etc.

In the past 17 years, Canadas metal and mining sectors have lost the ownership control of Stelco, Dofasco, Alcan, Inco and Falconbridge. In contrast, Potash Corp. was saved from a foreign takeover by the Conservative Harper government in 2010. In 2018, Potash Corp and Agrium merged and created the Canadian-based world-leading Nutrien Ltd.

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We need strategic long-term vision and backbone. Keep Teck Resources Canadian.

Scott Kerr Mississauga, Ont.

Glencore has been convicted of bribery on an unbelievably huge scale. The company is reported to be delivering Russian aluminum to the London Metal Exchange now. Discussions will presumably be held with Ottawa to find out what promises are required to make Glencores acquisition of Teck acceptable. One hopes that Ottawa understands what and also whom they are dealing with.

Ian Robinson Toronto

Letters to the Editor should be exclusive to The Globe and Mail. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. Keep letters to 150 words or fewer. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. To submit a letter by e-mail, click here: letters@globeandmail.com

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Letters to the editor: 'Banning words is a slippery slope that ... - The Globe and Mail

Chinese authorities are clamping down on videos showing poverty in the country on social media platforms, a report claimed. Videos showing sadness because of economic situation were removed from social media in a move by Xi Jinping.

New York Times reported the Cyberspace Administration of China's March announcement in which they said that anyone who publishes videos or posts deliberately manipulate sadness, incite polarization, create harmful information that damages the image of the Party and the government, and disrupts economic and social development will be punished. With this, showing people facing economic disparity or difficulty will be a criminal offence in China.

This comes as a content creator named Hu interviewed a 78-year-old Chinese widow in the southwestern city of Chengdu. In the video, the woman was seen struggling to buy rice as she cried. The video was later removed from social media and Hus account was permanently banned from the two biggest video platforms in China, the report claimed.

A thread on Zhihu, China's version of Quora, was also censored where people were seen discussing poverty in China, it added, with the aim of ensuring that the reputation of Xi Jinping's Communist Party of China is not affected.

The party has promoted its poverty elimination campaign as Xi Jinping launched the common prosperity programme in 2021 which celebrated Chinas comprehensive victory in the battle against poverty.

When not reading, this ex-literature student can be found searching for an answer to the question, "What is the purpose of journalism in society?"...view detail

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China censors videos showing sadness and poverty. It's a Xi Jinping campaign - Hindustan Times