China is taking a strict stance toward AI companions, proposing rules that would prevent platforms from offering services built around virtual emotional or intimate relationships to anyone under the age of 18.
اضافة اعلان
According to a report published by the South China Morning Post, these proposals could set a precedent for governments seeking to establish clear boundaries for the relationships that form between users and AI systems.
What will the new rules change?
Under the proposals, China's Cyberspace Administration will ban providing "virtual relatives or companions" services to minors.
Services that encourage addiction or seriously affect users' health will also be banned.
Social interaction with strangers will also be prohibited, with an exception for users over the age of 16 who rely on their own income.
Games, social platforms, and AI services that could affect the cognitive abilities of users under the age of 16 will be required to activate a mode specific to minors.
Platforms will also be required to develop better systems for identifying underage users, while algorithms will not be allowed to encourage emotional attachment, addiction, or excessive spending.
AI services in violation could face fines of up to ten times a platform's income once that income exceeds one million yuan, roughly $149,000, and authorities could also confiscate related revenue.
Why do these rules matter to AI companies globally?
Users aged 6 to 19 made up around 18 percent of internet users in China by the end of 2025, equivalent to 112.5 million people.
Lawyer He Jianqiao said regulators will examine whether services mimic family or romantic relationships through character design and emotional guidance.
However, ordinary conversations with AI and role-play games for functional purposes will generally not be subject to the rules, while services that encourage emotional dependency may face greater scrutiny.
One of the most notable challenges lies in determining what kind of content and services minors, once identified, can access. This could raise product development, infrastructure, and regulatory compliance costs for companies.
These proposals come two months after China's first rules specific to human-like AI systems took effect in July.
Those rules target systems that might encourage users to become dependent on them or negatively affect their real-world relationships.
The debate already extends beyond China, ranging from investigations into the potential risks popular chatbots like "ChatGPT" and "Gemini" pose to children, to restrictions on AI use in schools.
Concerns aren't limited to regulators either, as parents are also growing increasingly worried that children may become excessively dependent on AI.
These rules remain at the proposal stage, with the public comment period open until October 17.
The proposal suggests China is treating emotional dependency on AI as a matter of youth safety.
Should these rules be adopted, they could set a precedent for how governments around the world regulate AI companion services.
The text makes clear that the rules remain proposals and are not yet an active ban, and that the public comment period is open until October 17.
