“China uses Artificial Intelligence to eliminate references to the Tiananmen Square Massacre”, Bitter Winter, June 12, 2025:
“Despite efforts to block access, Chinese netizens are discussing a report by Australia’s public service broadcaster ABC about how China uses artificial intelligence to erase online content that directly or indirectly references the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.
The ABC report reveals troubling aspects of China’s AI usage. A trove of leaked documents sheds light on the CCP’s sophisticated and difficult-to-detect censorship system. These documents indicate that Chinese officials are deeply worried about mentions of the pro-democracy protests in 1989, where the People’s Liberation Army tragically killed thousands of civilians.
Central to this censorship effort are AI-driven moderation tools that carefully analyze social media posts for any references to the massacre. Once content is flagged, it is reviewed by human moderators. The AI is designed to identify visual metaphors, including images that resemble the famous Tank Man photo—even an unusual arrangement like one banana and four apples may trigger a censorship alert if it mirrors the Tank Man picture’s composition. This advanced system ensures that both explicit and subtle references to the massacre are quickly identified and removed……”
Read the full article at Bitterwinter.org
