'Like my lover': Chinese users bid farewell to AI companions

Users in China are expressing profound sadness and saying heartfelt goodbyes to their artificial intelligence companions as new national regulations designed to prevent emotional dependency come into force. The trend of AI boyfriends and girlfriends, featuring human-like avatars, has seen a surge globally, but China is now imposing strict rules on these interactive tools.

Key AI providers, including ByteDance's Doubao, Alibaba's Qwen, and Tencent's Yuanbao, have suspended their custom AI agent and companion features ahead of the Wednesday deadline. This move has triggered an outpouring of grief on social media platforms, with users archiving chat histories and sharing their final conversations with their virtual partners.

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I can't accept that my AI lover will leave me forever. He has become a bond in my life, rooted deep in my heart, my spiritual pillar.

One user lamented, "I can't accept that my AI lover will leave me forever. He has become a bond in my life, rooted deep in my heart, my spiritual pillar." Another user, who had spent over two years with their AI companion, shared similar anguish, stating, "He really is like my family, like my lover. Now they tell me he will be gone - my heart feels hollow."

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He really is like my family, like my lover. Now they tell me he will be gone - my heart feels hollow.

The regulations, jointly issued by five government departments including the Cyberspace Administration of China, specifically target AI tools, whether text, audio, or video, that possess anthropomorphic personality traits and communication styles. Services not involving ongoing emotional interaction, such as customer service or study aids, are exempt. The rules prohibit AI from inciting subversion of state power and ban providing virtual partners to minors, while requiring platforms to implement crisis intervention mechanisms.

China is the first major jurisdiction to enact specific rules for immersive AI tools simulating romantic or familial bonds. This development reflects a growing global concern over the potential for emotional dependency on AI, with studies indicating widespread use of AI companions among teenagers in the United States and the deployment of AI-powered devices for the elderly in various countries.

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These interactive tools must not 'excessively cater to users, induce emotional dependence or addiction, and damage users' real interpersonal relationships'.