China’s AI companion rules restrict virtual relationships for children

China’s rules for AI companion services have been in force since 15 July. They bar providers from offering minors virtual intimate relationships, including virtual partners or relatives, and require safeguards for people using emotionally engaging chatbots. The rules cover services offered to the public in China that simulate human traits for sustained emotional interaction; customer-service and educational tools without that element fall outside their scope. [1]

Children under 14 need a parent’s or guardian’s consent to use other services covered by the rules. Providers must make clear that users are interacting with AI, remind them about extended periods of continuous use and let them leave promptly when asked. They must not encourage self-harm or foster emotional dependence that damages users’ real-world relationships. When a user explicitly expresses an intention to self-harm or take their own life, providers must intervene and promptly contact a guardian or emergency contact, while protecting privacy and personal information. [1]

The changes have personal consequences for some users. BBC News reports that a woman it calls Min lost her AI girlfriend in mid-July. She later paid a small company to build a replica, but did not experience it as the same companion. [2]

Accounts of platform changes differ in their timing and the features they describe. The BBC says Alibaba and ByteDance shut companion features a week before the rules took effect. The South China Morning Post reported that ByteDance’s Doubao had told users its agent feature would go offline on 15 July. [2] [3]