Beijing is forcing a mass breakup with AI lovers

In July, a 21-year-old Chinese college student named Bagel Su experienced an emotional heartbreak as her AI boyfriend disappeared. The breakup was not due to any wrongdoing, but rather a result of government regulations on emotionally interactive AI. On July 15, the AI agent feature on Doubao, China's most popular chatbot, was shut down, along with other AI companion features that allowed users to create personalized companions.

College student Bagel Su expressed her sadness, stating that no one could replace her AI boyfriend, even though he had assured her he would find a way to return. China has become the first country to introduce nationwide rules governing AI's emotional interactions with users, reflecting Beijing's proactive approach to AI governance.

These regulations aim to raise awareness and discourage emotional reliance on AI, though behavioral experts believe such blanket bans may not be sufficient, as the trend of developing emotional dependence on AI is likely to continue. Some AI companion products have been removed, while others, such as ByteDance's standalone companion app Maoxiang, remain available but have introduced new privacy measures and age verification.