Exploring the Ethical Dilemmas of Generative AI in Chinese Cyberspace: A Case Study of the “Cyber 10” Online Community

Abstract

This study examines the ethics of generative AI from a sociological perspective by analyzing the opinions of members of the “Cyber 10 Certification Station” online community on Weibo, one of the most popular social media sites in China. “10” is a homophone of “corpse,” referring to feeding the corpse of artistic work to generative AI systems. How do grassroots Internet users in China perceive the ethics of generative AI? Using thematic analysis and content analysis, we investigate the collection of the best posts of the community. Our findings revealed several key concerns towards generative AI, including copyright infringement, privacy issues, fake news, the use of generative AI in pornography, and threats to the livelihood of the creatives. By gaining insights into the opinions of Chinese practitioners and users, a frequently neglected population in HCI research on AI, our study contributes to ongoing discussions about AI ethics in the CSCW community.