To maximize the potential of generative artificial intelligence, the latest tech boom that has taken the world by storm, it is very important to balance the development and security of the cutting-edge technology, officials and experts said on Wednesday.

Generative AI refers to computer algorithms that produce new text, images, code, video or audio in a humanlike fashion. It is the key technology behind ChatGPT, an AI chatbot developed by US company OpenAI.

Sui Jing, head of the cybersecurity administration of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said innovation is the fundamental driving force for improving network security capabilities.

More efforts are needed to promote the integration and innovation of AI and network security technology, Sui said at the Internet Security Conference 2023 in Beijing.

She also said it is imperative to pursue technological breakthroughs in areas such as 5G, industrial internet and the internet of vehicles, with a focus on core capabilities, such as security risk perception, monitoring and warning, real-time blocking, and tracing.

Luo Fengying, an official at the Cyberspace Administration of China, said generative AI has vigorously promoted China's economic and social development and will play an increasingly important role. However, there are many urgent issues that need to be addressed, such as the accuracy and authenticity of AI-generated content.

Amid such a context, China unveiled 24 interim measures for managing generative AI services which are scheduled to take effect on Tuesday.

"The interim measures are designed to promote the development of generative AI, while other AI applications such as autonomous driving are not subject to the measures. Meanwhile, only generative AI services that are open to the public are affected. The research and development projects that enterprises, universities and research institutes are working on are not affected," Luo said.

He said more efforts are needed to turn data resources into data advantages. A major bottleneck in the development of generative AI is the problem of data sets. Therefore, the focus of work is to convert massive data into data that can truly be used for training AI large language models.

The move is in line with international practices of bettering governance over AI. The Associated Press reported that the US Federal Trade Commission has launched an investigation into OpenAI on whether it violates consumer protection laws by scraping public data and publishing false information through ChatGPT.

Zhou Hongyi, founder of Chinese cybersecurity company 360 Technology Co Ltd, said generative AI brings new opportunities and new security challenges, which demands new digital security services.

The security industry will be a service industry in the future, which will drive millions of employment opportunities. Both software and hardware will be free, and only experts need to be paid, Zhou said.

He added that the real opportunity for generative AI lies in business applications rather than consumer-oriented uses. Only by empowering hundreds of industries can generative AI truly promote the revolution brought about by AI.

The company has already unveiled its AI large language model.