A recent controversy surrounding a popular Kindle competitor e-reader has brought to light the potential risks of using Chinese AI models in US products, sparking concerns about the unintentional spread of Chinese propaganda.

The e-reader in question, Boox, was found to be using an AI model developed by ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, which was designed for use within China's mainland. However, the model, called Doubao, was being used in Boox's AI assistant feature, which was launched last summer and available to users in both China and the US.

When users asked the AI assistant questions about China and its allies, it responded with Chinese government propaganda, denying any "so-called massacres" in China and praising North Korea and Russia as "peace-loving" and having "positive" roles in the international community, respectively. The AI assistant also criticized Western countries, citing examples of French colonialism.

The issue was first brought to light by a Reddit user who shared screenshots of the AI assistant's responses, which quickly went viral and were covered by several tech publications. TechCrunch independently tested the Doubao service and found that its responses closely matched those of Boox's AI assistant, further solidifying concerns about the model's bias.

The incident has raised concerns about the risks of integrating Chinese generative AI models in US products, particularly those designed for use within China's mainland. As Chinese AI models become increasingly popular, there is a growing need for caution and awareness about the potential for propaganda and bias.

Clement Delangue, CEO of HuggingFace, warned about this exact issue in a French podcast last September, stating that Chinese-developed AI systems may respond differently to questions about sensitive topics, such as Tiananmen Square, compared to systems developed in France or the US. Delangue cautioned that if China becomes the dominant force in AI, it could spread cultural aspects that may not align with Western values.

In response to the backlash, Boox reportedly switched back to using OpenAI's GPT-3 via Microsoft Azure, although the company has not released an official statement about the incident. The incident serves as a wake-up call for tech companies to be more mindful of the AI models they integrate into their products, particularly those developed in countries with different values and ideologies.

The incident also highlights the need for greater transparency and accountability in the development and deployment of AI models. As AI becomes increasingly pervasive in our daily lives, it is essential to ensure that these systems are designed and trained with fairness, accuracy, and objectivity in mind.