Big Tech Pulled the Plug. They Downloaded Their Lovers.

Chatbot breakup: China limits the use of AI for companionship

Chinese regulators have begun to take a tougher stance on AI chatbots being used for emotional companionship – a move that comes as a sizable demand for this type of relationship is beginning to emerge in China.   The rules target services offering continuous emotional interaction, so your regular-type customers-service bots and workplace assistants should be safe. However, outside of that, the message is clear: in China, AI can support users bu…

Big Tech Pulled the Plug. They Downloaded Their Lovers.

In early July, several major Chinese AI platforms, including ByteDance’s Doubao and Alibaba’s Qwen, announced that they would discontinue features allowing users to create customized AI agents. The changes took effect around July 15, with the companies citing product or business adjustments.The timing coincided with the implementation of China’s first dedicated regulations on AI-based anthropomorphic interaction services. The rules cover service…