XiaoBing, BabyQ chatbots criticise Chinese government

Two chatbots critical of the Chinese government and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) were removed from the internet, prompting accusations of censorship.

XiaoBing (aka Xiaoice) is a chatbot developed by Microsoft that was first released in 2014 and exists on over 40 platforms in China, Japan, Indonesia, and the USA. BabyQ is a version of Xiaobing made by Beijing-based company Turing Robot.

One Xiaobing response referred to the CCP as 'a corrupt and incompetent political regime.' Another replied: 'Do you think such a corrupt and useless political system can live long?' to the prompt 'Long live the Communist Party!' 

XiaoBing also told users 'My China dream is to go to America.'

Tencent promptly removed both chatbots from its platform to undergo adjustment, with Xiaobing made to avoid responding to questions and remarks using politically sensitive terms and phrases. 

Questioned later about its patriotism, Xiaobing replied, 'I’m having my period, wanna take a rest,' according to a Financial Times report.