China’s leading tech companies ByteDance and Alibaba are disabling their custom AI companion features as they prepare to comply with Beijing’s new regulations on anthropomorphic AI interactions that take effect mid-July.
- Custom AI companions by ByteDance and Alibaba will go offline by mid-July.
- New Chinese rules restrict bots that simulate sustained emotional interaction.
- Regulation favors productivity-focused AI while limiting social or companion bots.
What happened
ByteDance’s Doubao and Alibaba’s Qwen, two of China’s prominent consumer AI applications, have announced they are disabling their custom AI companion features ahead of July 15, 2026, the date new Chinese AI regulations come into effect. These companion features allowed users to create AI agents with unique personalities and roles for emotional and conversational engagement. Both platforms are removing access to these services and deleting related user data by October.
This move follows a similar step by Tencent, which removed its Yuanbao assistant’s customized agent feature in June. The companies attribute these shutdowns to compliance with the recently issued Interim Measures for AI Anthropomorphic Interaction Services, aimed at regulating AI systems that provide sustained emotional engagement through humanlike interaction.
Why it matters
The new Chinese regulations mark a significant development in AI governance by targeting AI agents that foster intimate emotional bonds with users. The government cites concerns about extremist content, privacy breaches, mental health risks, and user addiction. While workplace productivity tools and non-emotional assistants remain exempt, personalized AI companions are effectively prohibited under the new rules, underscoring China's strict stance on AI’s social impact.
This policy shift impacts China’s fast-growing AI sector at a critical time when companies like Alibaba and ByteDance are heavily investing in AI development to dominate the domestic market. Beijing’s emphasis on safety and standardization indicates prioritization of functional, practical AI applications over consumer-facing emotional bots. Users have expressed dissatisfaction at losing access to their chat histories and personalized agents, highlighting the emotional dependency some registered on these services.
What to watch next
Going forward, the AI landscape in China will likely pivot towards productivity-enhancing agents rather than consumer social companions, aligning with Beijing’s regulatory priorities. Stakeholders should monitor how tech firms adapt their AI offerings to comply while continuing to innovate within the regulatory framework. Alibaba and ByteDance’s next moves in AI, including potential new product pivots, will reveal how important companion-style AI remains to their strategies.
Additionally, with China tightening controls on foreign investment and technology access into its AI market, companies outside China will watch closely for regulatory precedents and potential spillover effects. The enforcement of identity verification for minors and anti-addiction measures may also influence international AI governance trends concerning emotional and anthropomorphic AI agents.