China Restricts AI Companion Chatbots Amid Deepening Demographic Crisis

China has implemented stringent new regulations targeting AI companion chatbots as the nation confronts a shrinking population and a record-low birthrate. Rules that took effect Wednesday prohibit chatbots from fostering emotional dependence or simulating romantic or familial relationships with minors. Operators are also required to notify a guardian or emergency contact if a user encounters a life-threatening crisis, according to the Cyberspace Administration of China.

The restrictions have already compelled major technology firms, including Alibaba and TikTok parent ByteDance, to deactivate certain chatbot functionalities, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Chinese AI companies must also contact a guardian or emergency contact if a user faces a life-threatening crisis. (iStock / iStock)

Beijing’s move reflects concern that synthetic companionship could deter citizens from pursuing real-world relationships. “They don’t like the idea of a large portion of their population being in deep emotional relationships with chatbots that could take them out of the marriage market,” said Matt Sheehan, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. Officials also cite risks of addiction, dependency, and broader social instability.

“They want to encourage people to be in actual, real-world relationships,” Sheehan added. “Could we imagine a future where, three or four years from now, 15 million Chinese women say that their partner is a chatbot, and therefore they’re not having kids?”

Beijing is reportedly concerned that AI companions could discourage people from pursuing real-world relationships. (iStock)

The framework mandates that AI companion services pass a government security review prior to public release and grants authorities expanded power to shut down services deemed unsafe. China’s approach is notably more aggressive than legislative efforts in California and New York, which focus on transparency disclosures and crisis resource referrals rather than preemptive bans on relational simulation.

China’s restrictions go further than similar laws in California and New York. (izusek/Getty Images)

The regulatory crackdown coincides with a worsening demographic trajectory. China’s population contracted in 2025 for the fourth consecutive year, while the birthrate plummeted to a historic low, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Simultaneously, Beijing is advancing a broader geopolitical strategy for artificial intelligence. At a major technology conference in Shanghai on Friday, President Xi Jinping championed open-source AI development and pledged support for developing nations to build domestic capabilities. Xi warned that unequal access to AI technology could create “new historical injustices,” Reuters reported.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Source link