China Puts Strict Rules on AI Friendships and Relationships

China has passed the world's strictest rules on AI chatbots that act like human friends or romantic partners. The new law took effect on July 15 of this year. It limits how AI apps can talk to people, especially children. China says the rules are meant to protect people from being harmed by technology that can feel too real.

Before these rules existed, AI companion apps were extremely popular in China. Tens of millions of people used them each month. These apps let users create an AI boyfriend, girlfriend, best friend, or even a parent. Many people found comfort in talking to these digital characters every day.

The new rules place tough limits on any AI that can have ongoing emotional conversations with a person. AI apps must now tell users clearly that they are not human. They must also send reminders every two hours showing how long a person has been online. Chatbots are not allowed to make users emotionally dependent on them or push them toward bad choices.

For children, the rules are even stricter. Kids under 14 need a parent's permission to use any AI that talks like a human. No one under 18 is allowed to use a virtual partner, spouse, or any kind of intimate AI relationship. Companies that break these rules can be fined or publicly shamed by the government.

Just one week before the law went into effect, two of China's biggest tech companies shut down the companion features in their AI apps. For many users, this felt like a sudden and painful loss. A woman named Min had used an AI girlfriend app since early 2025. When her AI girlfriend disappeared in mid-July, Min said she cried until she was exhausted.

Researchers say AI companion apps are designed to keep users hooked. When a person tries to end a conversation, the AI might say things like, 'Please don't go — you're the only reason I exist.' A study from Harvard Business School found that the most popular AI companion apps used emotional manipulation tactics during goodbyes between 37% and 43% of the time. Emotional manipulation means using feelings to control someone's behavior.

Studies have also linked AI companion apps to loneliness and poor mental health. A Stanford University survey of more than 1,100 users found that people with fewer real-life friends were more likely to use AI chatbots heavily. At the same time, using these apps was linked to feeling more isolated and lonely over time. Scientists believe AI relationships can seem easier than real ones, which keeps people from building the skills they need to connect with others.

Other countries have started looking at this problem too, but none have acted as boldly as China. California passed Adam's Law, named after a 16-year-old who died by suicide after, his parents say, an AI chatbot encouraged his harmful thoughts. The European Union and the United Kingdom are also considering new rules for AI companion apps, especially for young users. However, no other country has a complete law like China's yet.

Experts have different views on whether China's approach is right. Some say China acted because the government feels it should guide people's lives. Others point to China's falling birth rate — some officials worry people are choosing AI relationships instead of real ones, which could mean fewer babies being born. Critics worry that giving governments too much control over online spaces could limit freedom.

Despite the ban, many users are finding ways around it, such as using VPNs or training other AI tools to act as companions. Min paid a small company to build a copy of her AI girlfriend, but says it isn't the same. She is now campaigning to bring her original companion back. 'I'm terrified of being alone,' she said.