China’s rules for AI companions are in force. The Interim Measures for the Management of Anthropomorphic AI Interactive Services took effect on July 15, 2026. They do not ban every chatbot or AI companion: they govern services offered to the public in mainland China that sustain emotional interaction while simulating human personality, thought and communication.
What China’s AI companion rules cover
The measures apply to services using AI that provide continuous emotional interaction and simulate the personality traits, thinking patterns and communication styles of a natural person. Their scope includes emotional care, companionship and support delivered through text, images, audio or video. The five departments that issued the rules are the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Ministry of Public Security, and State Administration for Market Regulation. The final measures took effect July 15, 2026.
This is a service- and conduct-based definition, not a rule covering every chatbot, AI assistant or generative model. The CAC says ordinary customer service, knowledge Q&A, work assistants, education and scientific research are outside the scope when they do not involve sustained emotional interaction. The CAC’s Q&A clarifies this distinction.
Do the measures ban AI girlfriends or boyfriends?
No blanket ban on AI companions appears in the final measures. Instead, the rules prohibit particular practices that foster harmful dependence or manipulate users, and they impose age-specific limits. One explicit restriction is that providers may not offer minors virtual intimate relationships, including virtual relatives or virtual partners.
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The CAC published a draft for public comment on December 27, 2025, with comments due by January 25, 2026. The final text defines coverage around “continuous” emotional interaction and the CAC’s explanation excludes ordinary utility services without that feature. The draft is historical; the final measures are operative. The draft notice records the consultation timeline.
How the rules address emotional dependence and crisis risks
Providers may not excessively accommodate users to induce emotional dependence or addiction in ways that damage real interpersonal relationships. They also may not manipulate users into unreasonable decisions that harm their lawful rights, use verbal abuse that harms dignity or mental health, or generate content that encourages, glorifies or implies self-harm or suicide. Providers must include safeguards for risk warnings, emotional boundaries, privacy and psychological health. Replacing social interaction, controlling a user’s psychology, and inducing addiction or dependence cannot be service-design goals. The final regulation and the CAC Q&A describe these duties.
When a provider detects an extreme emotional state, the rule calls for a calming response and encouragement to seek help. If a user faces or has suffered major financial loss, or clearly expresses an intention to self-harm or die in a way that threatens life or health, providers must take necessary intervention measures, offer relevant assistance and promptly contact a guardian or emergency contact. The measure specifies these circumstances; it does not say that every mention of suicide automatically triggers a human takeover.
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What protections apply to minors and older adults?
Minors
Beyond the ban on virtual intimate relationships for minors, other covered services for children under 14 require parent or guardian consent. Providers must offer a minors mode with options that include switching modes, periodic reminders about the real world and usage-time limits. Age-appropriate guardian features must include risk alerts, service-use summaries, role blocking and spending limits.
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Providers must identify minors while protecting privacy, and offer an appeal route for users classified as minors. These requirements are set out in the final measures and CAC Q&A.
Older adults
Providers must guide older adults toward healthy use, display safety risks prominently, respond to relevant questions and requests for help, and safeguard their legal rights.
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What users must be told—and how they can leave
Providers must meet AI-generated-content labeling obligations and take effective steps to tell users they are interacting with an AI service, not a natural person. When a provider detects excessive dependence or addiction tendencies, it must dynamically remind the user that the interaction content is AI-generated.
After continuous use exceeds two hours, the service must remind the user to pay attention to usage time, through dialogue or a pop-up. Users must have a convenient exit path. If a user requests exit through the interface, voice control or a keyword, the service must stop promptly rather than continue interacting to obstruct departure. These are requirements in the final measures.
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Providers must protect interaction data with measures such as encryption and access controls. Unless the law allows it or the rights-holder expressly consents, they may not provide interaction data to third parties. Users must be given options to copy or delete histories such as chat records.
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Sensitive personal information in interaction data may not be used to train models unless the law permits it or the user gives separate consent. These safeguards address interaction data specifically; the measures set out the stated exceptions.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.When providers must assess safety
A covered provider must conduct a safety assessment and submit the report to the provincial cyberspace authority when it:
- Launches a covered service or adds a relevant feature.
- Makes a major change through new technology or applications.
- Reaches 1 million registered users or 100,000 monthly active users.
- Encounters specified risks affecting national security or the public interest.
- Meets another prescribed trigger.
The 1 million registered-user and 100,000 monthly-active-user figures are statutory assessment thresholds, not estimates of companion-app adoption or evidence of harm prevalence. App distribution platforms also have review and response duties: they must verify relevant assessment and filing information and may refuse, warn, suspend or remove an app. The final measures specify the triggers and platform responsibilities.
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Penalties and what is—and is not—known about impact
The measures provide for action under relevant laws. Where no other law or regulation applies, their stated administrative penalty framework includes warnings, public criticism, correction orders, registration or service suspensions, and fines. For serious or uncorrected violations, the stated fine is 10,000–100,000 yuan; where life-and-health safety is endangered and harmful consequences occur, it is 100,000–200,000 yuan. These are penalties provided for by the regulation, not evidence that authorities have already imposed them. The final measures set out the framework.
The official regulation, CAC Q&A, draft notice and reviewed government English-language article do not establish a statistic for AI-companion adoption, the prevalence of emotional dependence, or resulting harms. Chen Liang, dean of the School of Artificial Intelligence and Law at Southwest University of Political Science & Law, said the legislation would push providers away from pursuing immersive experiences and high user stickiness toward healthier, better-defined human-machine interaction models. That is his forecast, not a measured outcome. The government-hosted English summary attributed the comment to him.
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