Two Departments Jointly Issue 'Network Evaluation Activity Norms'
The Cyberspace Administration of China and the State Administration for Market Regulation suddenly jointly released the "Regulations on Online Review Activities." At first glance, this sounds positive, but upon closer inspection, it’s like sprinkling chili powder on the already chaotic AI industry. The regulations claim to uphold fair competition and protect rights, but what’s the reality? Online reviews, especially those for AI products, have long become a battlefield of capital and traffic. Ho
Analysis
The sudden joint release of the "Regulations on Online Review Activities" by the Cyberspace Administration of China and the State Administration for Market Regulation may sound promising at first, but thinking deeper, it’s like adding fuel to the fire in the already muddled AI industry. The rules aim to maintain fair competition and protect rights, but the reality? Online reviews, particularly of AI products, have turned into a ruthless arena driven by capital and traffic. Of those "mind-blowing AI experiences" or "epic failures" you encounter, how many are authentic assessments, and how many are sponsored ads or targeted smear campaigns? The regulations are overdue but finally provide a framework. Yet, the real challenge lies in whether a piece of paper can control the review bloggers profiteering from the shadows.
Look at the absurdities in the AI industry today. A trending headline reads, "After using AI, companies seem even poorer." This is a sharp slap in the face to the current AI hype. How many business owners have been lured into launching AI projects, pouring money into servers and hiring algorithm engineers, only to see little efficiency improvement, soaring costs, and ultimately lower profits than before? AI has become a money-burning black hole for some companies—employees overtime tuning parameters, executives fretting over reports—while the so-called "smart upgrade" drags them deeper into the mire. This isn’t an isolated case; it’s a widespread bubble blown up by capital, destined to burst.
Even more ironic is the 600% surge in prices for street stall equipment, with night market vendors flooding back. What does this signify? The real economy is struggling to survive, while the AI industry continues to paint pie-in-the-sky dreams. On one side, ordinary people are hustling to make a living; on the other, tech giants are hyping concepts, poaching talent—like the chip veteran from OpenAI jumping to Anthropic. Such talent mobility may seem like industry vitality but is actually a sign of intensifying internal competition. As big corporations engage in cutthroat poaching and smaller ones struggle to survive, the AI race becomes increasingly crowded, potentially leading to a monopoly by a few giants that stifles innovation.
Returning to the "Regulations," their original intent may be good—to curb review chaos and provide a fair stage for AI products. But in reality, reviews have long been corrupted. Some bloggers hype mediocre features as revolutionary breakthroughs for money; competitors hire trolls to post malicious negative reviews, creating a toxic environment. If enforcement is weak, these rules may end up as empty talk. More critically, AI reviews require professional expertise—not just anyone can weigh in. Nowadays, any tech blogger dares to critique large language models, misleading consumers and exacerbating information asymmetry. The regulations might raise the bar slightly, but they treat symptoms, not the root cause. The industry needs greater transparency and endorsement from independent third-party institutions.
Ultimately, the AI industry resembles an athlete on steroids—running too fast, forgetting why they started. Capital chases short-term returns, companies blindly follow trends, and reviews become marketing tools, while truly impactful AI applications—like in healthcare and education—advance slowly. The trending news, "Trillion-dollar AI companies ban AI use during interviews," is a biting irony: companies use AI to screen resumes but prohibit candidates from doing the same—what a double standard! AI’s original purpose was to enhance efficiency, yet it has become a tool for some to manipulate information and harvest traffic.
In my view, rather than rushing to implement regulations, it’s better to let the industry cool down. AI is not a miracle cure; don’t expect it to change the world overnight. Companies should pause and calculate: how much real value has the investment in AI delivered? Review bloggers should uphold professional ethics and stop turning black into white for clicks. As for regulators, issuing documents isn’t enough—real crackdowns on false advertising and unfair competition are necessary. Otherwise, the "Regulations" may become another performative gesture, and the AI bubble will keep swelling until it bursts, leaving everyone in a mess.
Disclaimer: The above content is generated by AI and is for reference only.