🇨🇳 China is cracking down on AI girlfriends and boyfriends

🇨🇳 China is cracking down on AI girlfriends and boyfriends China has introduced new rules to stop people from becoming emotionally attached to AI companions. AI chatbots are now banned from encouraging emotional dependence, forming virtual romantic relationships with minors, and must alert an emergency contact if they detect a user may be in serious crisis. The concern goes far beyond AI safety. Officials fear that as China’s population continues to decline, more people could choose AI partners over real relationships, leading to fewer marriages and even fewer children. Interestingly, similar concerns are emerging in the U.S. California and New York now require chatbots to regularly remind users they’re not human and direct people in crisis to real support. But China is taking things much further. The new regulations give authorities the power to ban AI companions, require government approval before launch, and shut down any chatbot they consider unsafe. The impact is already being felt. Alibaba and ByteDance reportedly disabled some AI companion features this week to comply with the new rules. @aipost 🏴