Ever since AI chatbots arrived on the scene, there has been one aspect that has worried lawmakers and experts a lot: humans forming emotional connections with chatbots. There have been plenty of cases where over-reliance on these AI companions or partners has resulted in medical emergencies, lost lives, and triggered multiple lawsuits against the likes of OpenAI and Meta.
China cracks down on AI companion apps
The problem is not limited to the US, as AI has been used in various capacities to satisfy human emotional demands across the world. China, in particular, has been one hotspot where virtual AI partners have been pretty popular. Now the country has put in place a regulation that bans all virtual relationships between AI chatbots and minors entailing emotional bonding and relationships.
“Beyond the bans on emotional reliance and minors, the new rules require companion chatbots to undergo regulatory evaluation before being offered to the public, and give the government a freer hand to shut down any deemed unsafe,” says a report by The Wall Street Journal. The move is not surprising. Numerous experts have voiced concern in China that if AI is left unchecked, it could affect employment, education, and even fertility.
A record low birthrate raises the stakes
The latter is a real issue for China. In 2025, the country’s population shrank for the fourth time in a row, with birth rates falling to a record low in a country that was once the most populous nation in the world. The latest regulation in China targets human-like AI characters that can establish deep emotional relationships, especially with minors.
The situation in China is pretty serious. According to local studies, over 70% of users in China have exhibited a serious dependency on AI tools to some extent, and a staggering 23% have reportedly formed a regular reliance on AI tools. The situation is so bad that anthropomorphized AI characters have progressed to the stage of even bearing children for their human companions. Another popular trend in China is resurrecting dead family members using AI to keep company.
