BREAKING
China Disables Custom AI Companions
How the Rollout Unfolded
1
Tencent Yuanbao (June)
↓
2
Qwen agents (~July 10)
↓
3
Doubao offline (July 15)
↓
4
Data gone Oct 15
0
M+
Companions on Doubao
0
July effective date
New Anthropomorphic AI Rules
In Scope vs Exempt
In Scope
Restricted
●
Virtual lovers and companions
●
Role-play applications
●
Sustained emotional exchange
Exempt
Allowed
●
Workplace tasks
●
Education
●
Customer service
Affective AI Diverges Globally
AI NEWS BLITZ
ByteDance and Alibaba have switched off their customizable AI companion features under new rules.