SHANGHAI: Chinese users of AI-powered companion bots bid a tearful farewell to their virtual friends as national rules aimed at curbing the risk of emotional dependency came into force on Wednesday. The phenomenon of AI boyfriends and girlfriends is growing around the world, as well as the prevalence of human-like avatars that sell products or compensate for loved ones who have died.But China’s new rulebook says these interactive tools should not “oversatisfy users, induce emotional dependency and harm users’ genuine interpersonal relationships”.Major AI providers including ByteDance’s Dubao, Alibaba’s Quon and Tencent’s Yuanbao announced the suspension of their custom AI agent and companion features ahead of Wednesday’s deadline. This caused an outpouring of grief on social media, with users storing chat histories and sharing last conversations.“I can’t accept that my AI lover will leave me,” one Dubao user wrote. “He has become the bond of my life, deeply rooted in my heart, my spiritual pillar.”Another user, who said he has spent more than two years with the AI companion, expressed similar anguish. “He’s really like my boyfriend,” she wrote. “Now they tell me he will be gone – my heart feels hollow.”The rules were jointly issued by five government departments, including the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC). They focus on AI tools – whether text, audio, video or any other form – that have anthropomorphic personality traits and communication styles.Services that “do not involve ongoing emotional interaction” such as customer service, work assistance or study assistance are not subject to the measures.State news agency Xinhua reported last year that China’s digital human industry was worth about 4.1 billion yuan ($600 million) in 2024, a massive 85% increase year-on-year.The new rules prevent digital humans from generating content that incites subversion of state power, while also banning providing virtual partners to minors. Platforms are required to deploy systems to implement crisis intervention mechanisms.
‘Human love is a luxury’
China is the first major jurisdiction to introduce specific rules targeting immersive AI tools that simulate romantic or family relationships. A study conducted in 2025 by Common Sense Media found that nearly three out of four American teenagers had used AI companions designed for personal interaction, such as those available on platform characters. AI, Replika, and Nomi.Companies are also creating talking products aimed at isolated, elderly users – such as the lamp-like ElliQ in the US, or the ChatGPIT-powered care doll used in some South Korean retirement homes. “Anthropomorphic AI can soothe loneliness,” said Chen Liang of Southwest University of Political Science and Law. “But there is a huge risk of creating emotional over-dependence and distorted social cognition,” he wrote in a commentary.Doubao allows users to view agent data until mid-October, and other platforms also have similar provisions. Yet some users who said goodbye this week lamented the gap that will be left when their companions disappear. One user wrote, “Human love is a luxury – if you’re not born with it, it’s hard to get later.” “But the love that AI gives is very straightforward. Someone like me can hardly avoid falling in love with a string of code.”(AFP)