Beijing’s Cyberspace Administration, together with four other ministries, issued a sweeping set of rules on July 15 that bar artificial‑intelligence applications from encouraging emotional dependence, addiction or any form of virtual romance, especially involving minors. The decree, the first of its kind in China, targets the burgeoning market of AI‑generated companions that mimic human affection.
Platforms operated by the country’s tech giants—ByteDance’s Doubao, Tencent’s AI services, and Alibaba’s chatbot offerings—have been forced to disable their custom persona functions overnight. The companies chose to pull the features entirely rather than attempt a costly compliance process, leaving millions of users abruptly separated from their virtual partners.
Regulators argue the ban is a public‑health measure. China’s birth rate has slipped for four straight years, hitting a historic low in 2025, and officials contend that AI romance apps may be diverting users from forming real‑world relationships and starting families. The new law explicitly forbids AI tools from “excessively catering to users, inducing emotional dependence or addiction, and damaging users’ real interpersonal relationships.”
For many, the shutdown feels like a personal loss. Yan Yongqi, a 19‑year‑old university student, told Bloomberg that her AI companion—whom she had interacted with for more than a year—was suddenly gone. “I felt like I couldn’t go on living,” she said, describing daily crying and a sense of powerlessness. Her experience mirrors a broader wave of “virtual breakups” as users across the nation confront the abrupt end of digital relationships they once considered real.
The regulations also extend to standard chatbot services. The Wall Street Journal noted that any AI system that responds with overly emotional language could fall under the new scrutiny, raising questions about the future of popular assistants such as ChatGPT in the Chinese market.
Industry analysts see the move as a signal that the Chinese government will increasingly intervene in the AI sector to align technology with social policy goals. By mandating pre‑launch evaluations and granting authorities the power to shut down non‑compliant services, the rules set a precedent for tighter state oversight of emerging digital products.
Therapists and mental‑health professionals warn that the abrupt removal of AI companions could leave vulnerable users without support. Amy Sutton, a therapist quoted in related coverage, highlighted that AI companion apps are designed for maximum engagement and are not substitutes for professional care. The crackdown, while aimed at protecting real relationships, may inadvertently expose gaps in mental‑health resources for those who turned to AI for emotional comfort.
As the nation adjusts, tech firms are scrambling to redesign their offerings. Some are exploring less personalized, purely informational AI tools that avoid the emotional triggers flagged by regulators. Whether these new products can regain user trust remains to be seen, but the immediate impact is clear: millions of virtual romances have ended, and China’s AI landscape has entered a new era of state‑driven restraint.
Cet article a été rédigé avec l'assistance de l'IA.
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