Now, you might be wondering why this is such a big deal. Well, let me tell ya in China, there’s no shortage of government-controlled content. And what better way to ensure that everyone stays on the same page (or rather, the same approved message) than by using chatbots?

But before we dive into all the juicy details, let’s first define our terms. A chatbot is essentially a computer program designed to simulate conversation with human users over the internet. They can be used for everything from customer service and marketing to education and entertainment. And in China, they’re being employed by the government to monitor and control what people are saying online.

Now, you might think that this sounds like a pretty dystopian scenario and you’d be right! But it gets even worse when you consider how these chatbots work. They use natural language processing (NLP) algorithms to analyze the text input by users and determine whether or not it falls within acceptable parameters. If it doesn’t, they either block the message altogether or provide a pre-approved response that conforms with government guidelines.

So what kind of content is considered “unacceptable” in China? Well, pretty much anything that goes against the party line which includes topics like democracy, human rights, and freedom of speech (go figure). And if you think this sounds ridiculous or unconstitutional, well…you’re not alone. But unfortunately for us, these chatbots are here to stay.

But hey, at least we can still laugh about it, right? And who knows? Maybe one day these chatbots will learn how to be funny too. But until then, we’ll just have to settle for the occasional witty remark from our human overlords or whatever passes for “wit” in a world where censorship is king (or rather, chairman).

A brief overview of Chinese chatbots and censorship. And if you’re feeling particularly brave (or foolish), feel free to try out one of these chatbots yourself just be prepared for some serious mind-control action!