China issued a series of regulations aimed at curbing emotional dependence on artificial intelligence (AI) companion bots, marking a new step in efforts to regulate the fast-growing sector.
AI-based companion services, which have been used in areas ranging from customer service and mental health support to childcare and eldercare, are gaining popularity due to their ability to simulate human-like personalities and conversations.
However, concerns about emotional dependency and other risks have sparked calls for tighter regulations.
The new rules require platforms to detect emotional distress, intervene in crisis situations, limit excessive usage, give users full control over their personal data, and prevent misuse of user information.
The regulations define AI-based companion services as those that provide "continuous emotional interaction" through text, images, and audio or video. Meanwhile, AI applications oriented toward task completion, such as customer service, work assistants, education, and scientific research, are excluded from this category.
The AI market in China continues to grow, driven by wider adoption across various industries. According to recent research, the value of the AI market in China is expected to exceed 1.2 trillion yuan in 2025 and is projected to reach 1.8 trillion yuan by 2028.
