Chinese tech companies are shutting down AI companion services due to new restrictions
Major Chinese tech companies have begun shutting down popular AI companion services after new government restrictions took effect on July 15. Among the companies winding down such services are ByteDance, Alibaba, and Tencent, according to NDTV World.
The new rules prohibit AI platforms from creating content that, by manipulating users’ emotions, could lead them to make questionable decisions. The restrictions also apply to content capable of evoking strong emotions in children and adolescents or fostering unhealthy habits.
The regulations require platforms to warn users about the risks of excessive dependence on such applications. Online services cannot be marketed as a substitute for social interaction, particularly face-to-face communication or phone calls with people.
AI companions in China can serve as romantic virtual partners or digital recreations of deceased loved ones. According to posts and screenshots on social media, the shutdown of these services sparked many complaints: some users deleted the apps in protest, while others tried to transfer their chat histories to other platforms in an effort to revive their virtual characters.
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Li Linlin, 24, said she had been messaging her virtual partner for two years, during which time they exchanged approximately 700,000 words. After losing her AI companion, she was unable to say goodbye to him.
Yolanda Ma, an expert in artificial intelligence governance, stated that the new regulations should balance the interests of AI service providers, users, and guardians of minors. Angela Zhang, a law professor at the University of Southern California, believes that the restrictions are unlikely to significantly halt the development of AI companions, as tech companies are working on alternative products.
In particular, ByteDance is directing users of its former AI companion service to another app designed to create personalized AI characters and stories.
