#107: ChatGPT takes off in China

Discussions in China about how ChatGPT and AI will affect workers and their jobs

Andrew Methven

Feb 18, 2023

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ChatGPT has gone viral on Chinese social media over the last two weeks.

Many people are asking why China's tech firms are lagging behind western AI innovators.

Now some of China's biggest tech firms finally responded.

Baidu has revealed it will launch the public version of "Ernie Bot" in March this year; Alibaba DAMO Academy is also developing a ChatGPT-like chatbot, which is in the closed beta stage; JD has officially announced ChatJD, which will be a version of ChatGPT for different industries.
百度透露将于今年3月推出“文心一言”，面向公众开放；阿里达摩院也在研发类ChatGPT对话机器人，已进入内测阶段；京东官宣ChatJD，要做产业版ChatGPT

Internet security firm, Qihoo 360, has also announced it was trialling its own version of ChatGPT.

So now discussions in China are more about how AI will affect people's lives, especially their jobs. How can AI be used to slack off at work? What will happen to some professions such as teachers?

There’s also angst that ChatGPT, Ernie Bot and other AI will be competing for, and beating people to, jobs of the future:

ChatGPT has exploded in popularity. This has drawn attention to AI from all sectors, and also made many workers tremble with fear.
聊天机器人ChatGPT爆火，引发各界对人工智能（AI）概念关注讨论的同时，也令不少打工人“瑟瑟发抖”

A question being discussed in China is:

Is AI in the future a scourge that will kill job opportunities, or will it be a catalyst that will bring new life to industries? In the face of possible unemployment, how should public policy respond?
未来的人工智能究竟是抹杀工作机会的“洪水猛兽”，还是为各行业带来新生的催化剂？面对可能的失业风险，公共政策又该如何应对？[2]

So that’s what we explore this week: The language of worry, competition, and occasionally a bit of cheating.

Favourite Five

1. 卷死 juǎn sǐ

compete to death

ChatGPT 大热，要把打工人都卷死 - ChatGPT is really hot. It’s going to kill off a lot of people’s jobs. [3]
Note: We've discussed in recent newsletters how juǎn 卷 has changed in meaning in the last few months. It can have positive or negative connotations depending on the context.

2. 划水 huá shuǐ

rowing; to slack off

一些聪明人已经用ChatGPT划起了水 - Some clever people have started to use ChatGPT so they can slack off at work. [1]
Note: Similar to 摸鱼 mō yú - "feeling fish" which was also been in conversations this week.

3. 废话文学 fèi huà wén xué

talking lots of rubbish

“ChatGPT就是一个废话文学生成器，”一位互联网大厂中层告诉我 - ‘ChatGPT is a tool for talking lots of hot air’, one mid-level exec from an internet company said. [1]
Note: An internet slang word.
Related: 废话连篇 fèi huà lián piān - talking nonsense

4. 瑟瑟发抖 sè sè fā dǒu

trembling with fear

聊天机器人ChatGPT爆火，引发各界对人工智能（AI）概念关注讨论的同时，也令不少打工人“瑟瑟发抖” - ChatGPT has exploded in popularity. This has drawn attention to AI from all sectors, and also made many workers tremble with fear. [2]
More: We explore this in more detail in this week's China Project Phrase of the Week.

5. 洪水猛兽 hóng shuǐ měng shòu

massive floods, and wild animals; a scourge

未来的人工智能可能是抹杀工作机会的“洪水猛兽” - The future of AI may be disastrous, killing off many job opportunities. [2]
Note: We discussed this previously in May last year. Zoe also goes deep in the podcast.

Consuming the Conversation

Useful words

6. 囿于 yòu yú

under the constraint of

我们抱怨PPT，但囿于职场规则，又无法挣脱 - We complain about powerpoint presentations. But we can’t break free because of workplace norms. [1]
Note: Formal expression.

7. 炮灰 pào huī

cannon fodder

效率革命就要来了，这一次，什么样的人能不当炮灰呢 - The efficiency revolution is coming. What kinds of people can avoid being cannon fodder this time? [1]
Note: Discussed before in April last year.

8. 出圈 chū quān

go mainstream

AI的“出圈”时刻 - This is the moment AI goes mainstream. [2]
More: We last discussed this in June last year. Normally used in context of niche celebrities going mainstream.