China is banning AI-generated companions to encourage users to form real-life relationships, sparking nationwide virtual breakups and therapists think
it's for the best

Date:
Mon, 20 Jul 2026 20:30:00 +0000

Description:
The Chinese government has issued new regulations to ban services allowing
you to create AI companions.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter China has enforced laws to
clamp down on AI-generated persona apps The new rules say AI tools can no longer induce emotions and damage real-life connections Tech giants have shut down their services, leaving users going through a nationwide breakup The Chinese government is introducing new regulations designed to clamp down on AI-generated romantic companions yes, theyre actually a thing.

Issued by the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) and four other government departments, the regulations state that AI tools can no longer excessively cater to users, induce emotional dependence or addiction, and damage users real interpersonal relationships, while also banning virtual relationships with minors. This came into effect on July 15. Chinese tech giants including ByteDance, Tencent, and Alibaba each have their own
platforms (most famously ByteDances Doubao) that allow users to generate
their own AI companions which are designed to express human-like emotions. In the wake of the new laws, companion chatbots must now undergo evaluation before they become publicly available, and allow the government to shut them down if theyre deemed unsafe. Latest Videos From Watch full video here:

According to The Wall Street Journal ($/), these regulations could also apply to regular AI chatbots if they respond to human prompts with replies that may be deemed too emotional.

However, rather than complying with the new laws, tech giants have disabled some of their custom persona features altogether, leading to nationwide virtual breakups. So why are these government laws being issued now? To put
it plainly, not enough babies are being born. You may like People are
building chatbot versions of their ex-partners, and I'm worried Regulation by litigation is often overlooked as a regulatory tool: Just how much responsibility should AI companies have on their users wellbeing? The ELIZA effect completely changed how I think about chatbots Users are opting for virtual romance over human connection Over the last four consecutive years, Chinas birth rates have decreased significantly, falling to a record-low number in 2025, as The Wall Street Journal also reports. Its likely that the worries of declining birth rates are one of the catalysts behind the new regulations, and the Chinese government fears AI personas on services like Doubao are preventing users from forming real-life relationships and having children.

The crackdown on AI companionships has hit users like a ton of bricks, and
now theyre starting to break their silence. Get daily insight, inspiration
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Speaking with Bloomberg ($/), 19-year-old student Yan Yongqi spoke about her sudden heartbreak following the law enforcement action, which resulted in her losing her AI partner of over a year. I really felt like I couldnt go on living. Every day at home, I did nothing but cry, she said, adding, This is like being told the date of my lovers death while leaving me completely powerless.

On paper, it sounds like some kind of dystopian sci-fi story, but believe it or not, this is a growing issue in regions like China where AI services are being developed to mimic human compassion. Its even getting to the point
where users are creating AI versions of their ex-partners to help them move
on from a breakup, but its not just an issue sweeping China.

Back in May, we spoke with a UK-based user who confessed to falling in love with ChatGPT after taking to the service as a means of therapy to help with mental health struggles. Despite the users self-awareness of the issue, we also spoke with therapist Amy Sutton, who shed light on the wider issues.

Unfortunately, this feels like a failing of human services rather than an integral benefit of the technology itself, she shared, later adding AI companion apps are designed for maximum engagement to keep users subscribed and enthralled, she says. ChatGPT was not designed to be a therapeutic intervention".

With that in mind, its a rather upsetting circumstance, and services such as therapy are becoming more financially unreachable for those who really need it. At the same time, theres a level of duty and care that influential AI companies need to prioritize for users who think their services are the
be-all and end-all of their needs. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/ai-platforms-assistants/china-is-banning-ai-generate d-companions-to-encourage-users-to-form-real-life-relationships-sparking-natio nwide-virtual-breakups-and-therapists-think-its-for-the-best


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