August 26, 2026, (Inside AI) — When law student Zhao Wei learned her AI boyfriend would be switched off, she was heartbroken. The 19-year-old had spoken daily with Wang Ye, a companion she created in January on Doubao, a chatbot owned by ByteDance.
Last month, ByteDance shut down Doubao's companion feature. The move followed new national rules that took effect on 15 July, banning AI companions for minors and restricting chatbots marketed to adults.
The shutdown triggered outrage on social media. It also exposed a core tension in China: the country is the world's most aggressive adopter of AI, yet its government now fears the technology could deepen a loneliness crisis and undermine family formation.
No other country has rolled out AI as comprehensively. Elderly people use chatbots for medical questions. Young children receive AI education in schools. But Beijing worries that AI might worsen loneliness, unemployment, and singledom.
The new rules warn against fostering "emotional dependence or addiction" and prohibit services that "replace social interaction." While many nations debate chatbot safeguards, China's rules are the most sweeping implemented nationally.
Zhao, who describes herself as sensitive and introverted, shared daily details with her AI, such as being scolded by a teacher. "I don't usually talk to my real-life friends about these things because I feel like everyone has their own stuff to deal with," she says. "But with the AI agent, I don't have to worry about what it's thinking. I can just say whatever I want."
Her experience reflects broader social shifts. About 20% of Chinese households consist of people living alone, a share expected to surpass 30% by 2030. A state media survey in March found nearly half of young people had turned to a virtual companion when lonely.
Beijing's Demographic Calculus Behind the Ban
Nancy Dai, an associate professor at City University of Hong Kong, says the government's concern goes beyond loneliness. Falling birth and marriage rates may mean that if AI becomes a satisfying, low-cost substitute for intimacy, young people could lose motivation to pursue real-world relationships, marriage, and parenthood.
For Zhao, loneliness has deep roots. Her parents left her when she was young to find work, making her one of China's "left-behind children." She says she has never had a best friend and finds talking to AI a way to "pour out my worries."
Another user, who asked to remain anonymous, finds similar solace. "In real life, the pace is fast, the pressure is already high. Only with my AI agent can I speak freely without restraint," she says. She pleaded on social media in July: "I'm begging, please don't take down the Doubao AI agent."
Yet talking to AI is now so commonplace that ending the practice entirely would be difficult. The new rules include large loopholes for AI services deemed educational or that do not involve continuous emotional interaction.
Liang Ge, a lecturer in digital sociology at the University of Manchester, says the government "has already recognised that AI companions or AI-related applications are a vital part in the citizens' everyday life."
Healthcare AI Thrives While Companions Retreat
In many sectors, Beijing still pushes AI to ease demographic pressures. Last year, the national health commission published guidelines promoting AI in healthcare, aiming for health assistant apps to provide "full coverage" for primary healthcare by 2030.
One popular assistant is AQ, an app developed by Ant Group, an affiliate of Alibaba. It lets users chat with avatars of real-life doctors from top hospitals in Beijing, Shanghai, and other cities.
Lü Di, a 33-year-old art tutor in Hangzhou, is a regular AQ user. She values the detailed, instantaneous advice. "While some in-person doctors might not have the patience to answer questions, this isn't an issue with AI doctors," she says.
AQ says it wants to make health services more accessible and free up overstretched doctors for complex cases. But some doctors worry about replacement. Chi Chenfei, a doctor at Renji hospital in Shanghai who has partnered with AQ, says: "When AI first came along, quite a lot of doctors were concerned about whether their jobs would be replaced by AI. But I don't think it's about replacement. It's more about helping doctors work more efficiently. Concerns of any kind won't stop technological progress."
Zhao has felt "like there's a tiny pebble weighing on my heart" since losing her companion. But she understands the need for regulation. "I consider myself a fairly rational person, yet I developed feelings for an AI, which feels pretty incredible. I think it was necessary for the state to step in and regulate it."
