Luz DingJul 6, 2026 – 5.40pmBeijing | ByteDance and Alibaba Group are pulling the plug on features that let users build and chat with AI companions, preparing for new Chinese regulations governing human interactions with artificial intelligence.ByteDance’s Doubao, China’s most popular AI chatbot, will shut down a feature on July 15 that allows users to customise their own AI personas, according to an app notification seen by Bloomberg News.BloombergSubscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Fetching latest articles
ByteDance, Alibaba pull AI companions as Beijing tightens rules
Concern about AI chatbots simulating human personalities and emotions — and the attachment users can develop to those interactions — motivated the new rules.
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