China becomes first country to regulate AI companion apps: Here's why

China's new AI companion rules target virtual boyfriends and girlfriends as officials seek to promote dating, marriage and real-world connections.

China has become the first country to introduce rules specifically targeting AI companion apps, with new regulations aimed at curbing emotional dependence on chatbots. The ultimate aim is to encourage people to form real-world relationships.

China has rolled out the world's first AI companion regulations (Adobe Stock)

The regulations, which came into effect on July 15, have prompted major Chinese tech companies including ByteDance, Alibaba and Tencent to disable or scale back personalised AI companion features. The rules apply to AI services designed for ongoing emotional interaction, such as virtual boyfriends and girlfriends, rather than customer service or productivity chatbots.

China's concerns extend beyond mental health. Officials fear that deep emotional bonds with AI companions could discourage people from dating and marrying at a time when China is grappling with falling birth rates. Matt Sheehan, a China AI expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told The Wall Street Journal that regulators worry such relationships could "take them out of the marriage market, that could have negative psychological impacts on them."

While countries including the US and members of the European Union are debating safeguards for AI companions, China is the first to implement a dedicated regulatory framework, signalling growing global concern over the emotional impact of increasingly human-like chatbots.