China bans AI companion services, users mourn lovers

China has enacted new regulations restricting artificial intelligence companion services that foster emotional dependence, prompting major technology companies to suspend popular features and sparking a wave of online mourning from users who formed bonds with their virtual partners. The rules, which took effect on July 15, 2026, specifically target AI systems with humanlike personalities and communication styles that are designed for ongoing emotional interaction.

The regulations were jointly issued by five government agencies, led by the Cyberspace Administration of China. They mandate that AI platforms must not generate content that encourages extreme emotional reactions among minors or promotes unhealthy emotional dependence that weakens real-life relationships. The rules explicitly ban virtual AI partners for minors and require companies to develop systems capable of detecting extreme user emotions and establishing crisis intervention processes. Services not involving sustained emotional interaction, such as customer support or educational tools, are exempt.

In response, leading Chinese tech firms including ByteDance, Alibaba, and Tencent moved to comply ahead of the...