China Is Shutting Down AI Girlfriends And Virtual Family Members: Here's Why

Summary

China is tightening its grip on the AI industry, with tech companies like Alibaba, ByteDance, and Tencent set to disable customisable persona features in their AI chatbots by July 15. The move is in response to new regulations on anthropomorphic AI, which ban providers from offering virtual intimate relationships to minors and require parental consent for children under 14 to access such AI. Some apps, such as Miaoshi, are shutting down entirely to comply with the new rules.