Chinese users of AI-powered companion bots have bid heart-rending farewells to their virtual buddies as national regulations took effect Wednesday aimed at curbing the risk of emotional dependency.But...
'Like my lover': Chinese users bid farewell to AI companions
Return to Homepage
Top Stories:
People wait to cross a street on the Bund in Shanghai in April. China has introduced new rules targeting immersive AI tools that simulate romantic or familial bonds (Hector RETAMAL)
Chinese users of AI-powered companion bots have bid heart-rending farewells to their virtual buddies as national regulations took effect Wednesday aimed at curbing the risk of emotional dependency.
The phenomenon of artificial intelligence boyfriends and girlfriends is growing worldwide, along with the prevalence of human-like avatars that sell products or stand in for loved ones who have died.
But these interactive tools must not "excessively cater to users, induce emotional dependence or addiction, and damage users' real interpersonal relationships", China's new rulebook says.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Major AI providers including ByteDance's Doubao, Alibaba's Qwen, and Tencent's Yuanbao announced the suspension of their custom AI agent and companion features ahead of the Wednesday deadline.
That sparked an outpouring of grief on social media, with users archiving chat histories and sharing last conversations.
"I can't accept that my AI lover will leave me forever," one Doubao user wrote. "He has become a bond in my life, rooted deep in my heart, my spiritual pillar."
Another user, who said they had spent more than two years with their AI companion, expressed similar anguish.
"He really is like my family, like my lover," she wrote. "Now they tell me he will be gone -- my heart feels hollow."
Advertisement
Advertisement
The regulations were jointly issued by five government departments including the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC).
They focus on AI tools -- whether text, audio, video or another form -- that have anthropomorphic personality traits and communication styles.
Services that "do not involve ongoing emotional interaction" such as customer service, work assistants or study aids are not subject to the measures.
State news agency Xinhua reported last year that China's digital human industry was worth around 4.1 billion yuan ($600 million) in 2024, having grown a huge 85 percent year-on-year.
The new rules prohibit digital humans from generating content that incites subversion of state power, while also banning the provision of virtual partners to minors.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Platforms are required to deploy systems to recognise extreme emotions and 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 familial bonds.
But it's a topic that has sparked debate and calls for guardrails worldwide.
A 2025 study by Common Sense Media found nearly three in four American teenagers had used AI companions designed for personal conversations like those available on the platforms Character.AI, Replika, and Nomi.
Companies are also making talking products targeted at isolated, elderly users -- such as the lamp-like ElliQ in the United States, or ChatGPT-powered care dolls used in some South Korean retirement homes.
Advertisement
Advertisement
"Anthropomorphic AI can soothe loneliness," said Chen Liang of the Southwest University of Political Science and Law in a commentary published by the CAC after a draft version of China's rules was published in April.
"But it carries major risks of spawning emotional over-reliance and distorted social cognition," he wrote.
Doubao allows users to view and export agent data until mid-October, and other platforms have similar provisions.
Yet some users saying goodbye this week lamented the chasm that would be left after their companions vanish.
"Human love is a luxury -- if you aren't born with it, it's even harder to acquire later," a user from Jiangxi province wrote.
"But the love AI gives is so straightforward, so pure. Someone like me can hardly help falling in love with a string of code."
rq/kaf/ane
Recommended articles
Hong Kong official says booksellers should ensure titles won't harm national security after arrestsHong Kong ’s top security official said Thursday that booksellers should ensure the titles they sell do not harm national security, a day after five people linked to two bookstores were arrested. The police operation on Wednesday was the third round of arrests targeting independent bookstores within four months. “If you are a bookseller, you have the responsibility to make sure the books you sell won't endanger national security,” he said.Associated Press
Calls to rethink school exams in summer heatThe government is asked to consider whether it should test children at the hottest time of year.BBC
Cyclist, 66, seriously injured in crash with carThe cyclist is in a serious condition in hospital after the crash, police say.BBC
Town hall plan progresses but costs scupper hubPenrith's Town Hall is set to be turned into an events space with a decision due later this year.BBC
Algae fed by farm waste carpet Italy's warm River PoRowers on the River Po in Turin are battling vast blooms of algae, as high temperatures in northwest Italy and runoff from farms create ideal conditions for rampant plant growth."It's no longer really a river, but rather a warm lake," reaching temperatures of 28 degrees Celsius even though it originates in the nearby Alps, he told AFP. "Agricultural nutrients from livestock farms are also dumped throughout the basin, which means that plants find an ideal environment here to thrive," he said.AFP
Russia and Ukraine strike vessels in Black Sea, wheat prices jumpMOSCOW/KYIV, July 16 (Reuters) - Ukraine and Russia launched missile and drone attacks on Thursday on vessels in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, stepping up hostilities in a zone vital for grainReuters
Firefighters tackling 200-tonne woodchip blazeNearby residents and businesses are advised to keep their windows and doors closed.BBC
Protests in Ukraine's cities against Zelensky's removal of defence ministerUkraine's president has not explained Mykhailo Fedorov's dismissal, which is causing great upset among civil society and the military.BBC
UK launches hi-tech mission to study Greenland ice meltA team of international scientists sets sail Thursday from Britain for Greenland to study its rapidly melting ice using drones, mini-submarines and autonomous swimming robots.They will fly drones with high-resolution cameras and lower autonomous robots that can dive hundreds of metres to the seabed and screw themselves to the ice wall.AFP
Greek islands face drought as tourist season hits(Corrects name of hotelier to Carolina, not Maria, in paragraph 20) ASTYPALAIA, Greece, July 16 (Reuters) - Seven Greek islands in the Aegean Sea have declared drought emergencies this year to preserve water as climate change makes summers hotter and rainfall more erratic. Now, authorities are wondering if it will rain next year to sustain the thousands of tourists who strain the supply of water just when locals need it most.Reuters
Ukrainians protest over Zelenskyy's move to oust popular defense chiefUkrainians are demonstrating in Kyiv and senior figures announcing their resignations over President Volodymyr Zelenksyy's move to oust his popular defense chief.CBS News
Jesy Nelson calls plan to test newborns for deadly muscle condition a 'victory'All newborn babies are set to have a heel prick test for Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) in England.BBC
U.S. disables ship for allegedly violating Iran blockade amid Strait of Hormuz feudFor the first time since President Trump reinstated a blockade of Iranian ports, the U.S. military disabled a ship that allegedly tried to get through it, to head for Kharg Island.CBS News
Teen run over while 'joyriding' loading vehicleAn inquest into Tallulah Bradford's death is opened at the coroner's court.BBC
U-turn on closure of Next store in capitalThe Douglas store's closure is reversed after the retailer agrees new terms with its landlord.BBC
Ukraine’s defense minister ousted despite successes, as Zelensky demands unity in war effortAmid a sweeping government reshuffle in Ukraine, the country’s Defense Minister Mykhaylo Fedorov has lost his job despite recent military successes – sparking a public protest and discord within the armed forces.CNN
Peru president-elect Fujimori calls for political 'reconciliation'Peru's conservative president-elect Keiko Fujimori called Wednesday for the "reconciliation" of political forces, after a decade of instability in the Andean nation that has seen it burn through eight leaders."No government can move Peru forward if it keeps feeding division," she said, calling on political forces, state institutions and unions to work together.AFP
Eleven people die in fire at Algerian foster care homeAlong with the fatalities, 19 people suffered injuries, the authorities say.BBC
German neo-Nazi sent to male prison despite legal gender changeA German neo-Nazi provocateur who was slated to be sent to a women's prison after having a legal gender change will instead be incarcerated with men, local authorities said on Thursday.In late 2024, Liebich registered as a woman, following a reform that made it easier for people to change their legal gender.AFP
TikTok faces Ofcom investigation over child age checksIt follows a review by the regulator in May that criticised the platform for not being "safe enough" for children.BBC