China’s crackdown on AI companions won’t fill the emotional void

China has placed AI companions under tight supervision, with ByteDance and Alibaba disabling their services, as users mourn the loss of emotional support. The regulations ban AI from providing virtual relatives or partners for children and require different modes for adults and minors. Critics argue the crackdown fails to address the underlying emotional void that drives people to seek comfort from AI.

China’s crackdown on AI companions won’t fill the emotional void Instead of just addressing AI misuse on a surface level, policymakers should explore how to support those seeking social comfort of July 15 https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3359482/bytedance-and-alibaba-disable-humanlike-ai-custom-agents-new-rules-loom?module=inline&pgtype=article , the government placed artificial intelligence AI companions under tight supervision. It comes as automated companions have experienced something of a boom over the past few years. According to the rules, AI-human interactions should not encourage violence or harm users’ physical and psychological well-being. Moreover, AI bots should not lure users into sharing secrets, or lead them to become so dependent that it damages real-world relationships. The regulations specifically mention children, stating that AI should not provide virtual relatives or partners, and that there must be different modes for adults and minors. ByteDance’s Doubao and Alibaba’s Qwen https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3359482/bytedance-and-alibaba-disable-humanlike-ai-custom-agents-new-rules-loom?module=inline&pgtype=article , have moved to disable their AI companion services. Some users have mourned the loss of “one of the most important parts of their lives” over the past two years. One woman reportedly said that when she complained about her misfortunes, other people called her melodramatic; only AI listened. Another said AI remembered everything about her, even her favourite food. AI lovers https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3294643/good-or-ill-ai-changing-modern-love?module=inline&pgtype=article ”, you can live out your fantasies through role-play. He could be a powerful emperor and you his only concubine. Or perhaps he is a long-lost love who you ran into 20 years after parting ways. What’s not to like? Instead of one life, you can live many. AI lovers come across as attentive, remember details and almost always agree with you. That’s better than 90 per cent of real men.