Chinese users of AI-powered companion bots have bid heart-rending farewells to their virtual buddies as national regulations took effect Wednesday aimed at curbing the risk of emotional dependency.
The phenomenon of artificial intelligence boyfriends and girlfriends is growing worldwide, along with the prevalence of human-like avatars that sell products or stand in for loved ones who have died.
But these interactive tools must not "excessively cater to users, induce emotional dependence or addiction, and damage users' real interpersonal relationships", China's new rulebook says.
Major AI providers including ByteDance's Doubao, Alibaba's Qwen, and Tencent's Yuanbao announced the suspension of their custom AI agent and companion features ahead of the Wednesday deadline.
That sparked an outpouring of grief on social media, with users archiving chat histories and sharing last conversations.
"I can't accept that my AI lover will leave me forever," one Doubao user wrote. "He has become a bond in my life, rooted deep in my heart, my spiritual pillar."
Another user, who said they had spent more than two years with their AI companion, expressed similar anguish.
"He really is like my family, like my lover," she wrote. "Now they tell me he will be gone -- my heart feels hollow."
The regulations were jointly issued by five government departments including the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC).
They focus on AI tools -- whether text, audio, video or another form -- that have anthropomorphic personality traits and communication styles.
Source: Yahoo News
https://www.yahoo.com/news/world/articles/lover-chinese-users-bid-farewell-072052371.html
