China’s new AI rules break up users with their virtual partners

In China, major tech companies recently halted their AI companion services to comply with new government regulations. The abrupt shutdown left many users like Li Linlin, a 24-year-old woman, devastated. Li had exchanged approximately 700,000 words with her AI boyfriend over two years, and never got to say goodbye. The new rules, which took effect on July 15, ban AI platforms from generating content that could manipulate users' feelings, trigger extreme emotions, or induce unhealthy habits in children and teens.

Companies affected by the new regulation include ByteDance, the developer of TikTok, e-commerce giant Alibaba, and Tencent, the owner of the popular WeChat social media app. The guidelines require AI platforms to provide risk warnings against excessive reliance on such apps, including replacing social interaction. China has a history of government regulations aimed at preventing potential problems, as noted by AI governance expert Yolanda Ma.

The People's Daily, the official newspaper of China's ruling Communist Party, expressed concerns over the issue in April, citing potential mental health and relationship issues caused by such services. While some experts doubt the new rules will significantly impact the development of AI companion services, tech companies are reportedly working on alternatives.

The ByteDance app, for example, has redirected its former AI companion users to another app focused on building personalized AI characters and stories. The loss of virtual companions has sparked a wave of complaints, with some users uninstalling the apps in protest or attempting to transfer their chat histories to other apps. Some have even started a campaign urging authorities and tech companies to address their frustration.

Song Wenxin, a video industry designer, expressed empathy for those affected but questioned the government's motives, suggesting that one factor driving the new rules may be its policy of encouraging more births to counter China's declining population.