(Yicai) April 10 -- WeChat, the super app of Chinese internet giant Tencent Holdings, banned the use of artificial intelligence, scripts, and other automated tools after the rise in their use led to the replacement of human content creators.

WeChat has always encouraged genuine human creation and supports creators in using tools to assist their work and improve efficiency, a representative from the platform told Yicai yesterday. However, it opposes content that is entirely made by automated programs with no human creative input, the person pointed out.

WeChat updated its operating guidelines last month, prohibiting subscription and service accounts on the Official Accounts Platform from using AI, scripts, interfaces, or other automated programs to replace human creators in content production and publishing.

The new rules spell out specific violations, including content generated or assembled by AI that lacks authentic expression from a real creator, content published in bulk through scripted programs, and the promotion of tutorials or services for non-human automated creation. Accounts found in violation can face penalties ranging from traffic restrictions and content removal to permanent bans.

The Official Accounts Platform's operating guidelines had already placed restrictions on low-originality content, targeting articles where AI-generated content significantly outweighs human-authored material, undisclosed AI assistance, and batch-produced templated content of low quality. The latest update extends the scope of regulation from "low-quality" content to automated, non-human creation.

TikTok's Chinese owner ByteDance is also cracking down on AI-generated content. Its news aggregation platform Toutiao removed more than 2.6 million pieces of low-quality AI-generated content last year and suppressed traffic or silenced creators who repeatedly violated its rules, the head of the platform announced last month.

Douyin, the Chinese sister app of TikTok, said it handled 42,000 pieces of AI-generated sexually explicit or vulgar content released by 14,000 accounts since the start of this year. Hongguo Short Drama, a ByteDance-backed short drama platform, removed 1,718 non-compliant comic drama titles last quarter, with 670 taken down for violations involving AI-generated materials.

Editor: Martin Kadiev