🛡 China introduces strict rules for AI companions
As of July 15, China has implemented the strictest national rules for AI companions: services are banned for minors, and adult chatbots must limit 'emotional dependency'. ByteDance has already completely disabled romantic companions in Doubao.
🌍 China is the largest market for consumer chatbots, and for the first time at the national level, 'emotional' AI has been restricted: authorities fear that AI substitutes for intimacy will reduce motivation for marriage and childbirth. Exemptions for 'educational' services set a new product template.
👤 Users may lose their 'close' bot with a single decision — in China, a wave of complaints is already underway over this. The boundary of regulation does not revolve around the technology, but around its social role: AI in medicine, conversely, is actively promoted.
Source 1: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/26/china-ai-companion-relationships-marriage-birth-rate-concern