State mouthpiece China Daily has crossed the line when it released an AI (artificial intelligence)-generated video depicting Filipinos as monkeys.

This was the assertion made by Dr. Jose Antonio Goitia, chairperson emeritus of Alyansa ng Bantay sa Kapayapaan at Demokrasya and the Filipinos Do Not Yield Movement, who pointed out that “racism has no place in a civilized world.”

“There are lines no responsible institution should ever cross. Racism is one of them. The video did more than challenge the Philippines’ position on the West Philippine Sea. It demeaned the Filipino people. Whatever message it sought to convey, its outcome was unmistakable. It was racist propaganda that used artificial intelligence to ridicule an entire people,” Gotia explained.

“Every Filipino should reject this — not because it criticized our government, but because it demeaned our people. Racism has no place in diplomacy, responsible journalism, or relations between civilized nations,” he added.

“This video is not merely an attack on the Philippines. It is an attack on the dignity of every Filipino. No nation that claims to uphold international law and human dignity should promote propaganda that portrays other people as less than human,” Gotia stressed.

The timing, he added, “is equally difficult to ignore.”

“Only days earlier, several Chinese scholars advanced the baseless claim that Batanes belongs to China. Philippine officials, historians and the public quickly dismantled the claim. The study was eventually withdrawn after widespread criticism,” Gotia further explained.

More brickbats on China

Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson criticized the AI video, saying the portrayal reflected more on Beijing’s character than on the Filipino people.