Alibaba · China · AI Agent · U.S. · The Information · Decrypt
The regulation targets AI services that simulate human personality traits, thinking patterns
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Both apps had offered pools of agents customizable for specific tasks, speaking styles, and fixed personas.
Key facts
- Translation: AI girlfriends, AI therapists, AI companions, and the custom-persona bots that Doubao and Qwen users spent months building are out
- A separate survey of young partnered adults found one in seven regularly used AI romantic companions—and nearly 70% were hiding the full extent from their partners
- While American politicians tackle the impact of AI chatbots on the mental health of users with restrictions focusing on transparency and safeguards, Beijing appears poised to shut down AI
- Legal analysts at MMLC Group described the measures as treating emotional AI as "a governance problem" instead of a content issue
Summary
ByteDance's Doubao and Alibaba's Qwen are disabling humanlike agent features ahead of Beijing's Interim Measures for the Administration of AI Anthropomorphic Interaction Services, effective July 15. China's first regulation specifically targeting emotional AI bans services that simulate human personality and "sustained emotional interaction," with especially strict limits on virtual companions for minors. Research backs Beijing's concern: Even the best frontier AI models routinely encourage harmful emotional attachment, and one in seven young adults in relationships now uses an AI romantic companion. While American politicians tackle the impact of AI chatbots on the mental health of users with restrictions focusing on transparency and safeguards, Beijing appears poised to shut down AI personalities altogether. ByteDance and Alibaba both announced over the weekend they are disabling custom agent features in their biggest consumer AI products, citing "product function adjustments" ahead of new rules that govern such products taking effect.