'Like my lover': Chinese users bid farewell to AI companions
China's new regulations effective Wednesday curb emotional dependency on AI companions, targeting tools with anthropomorphic traits.
Major AI providers ByteDance's Doubao, Alibaba's Qwen, and Tencent's Yuanbao suspended custom AI agent and companion features ahead of the deadline.
Users expressed grief on social media, archiving chat histories and sharing last conversations with AI companions.
Regulations prohibit providing virtual partners to minors and require platforms to deploy crisis intervention mechanisms.
China is the first major jurisdiction to introduce specific rules targeting immersive AI tools that simulate romantic or familial bonds.
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