ByteDance and Alibaba, China's two largest technology companies, are moving to disable features that allow users to create lifelike, emotionally responsive AI agents, responding to a new wave of regulatory pressure from Beijing targeting software that mimics human behavior.
Beijing Draws a Line on Humanlike AI
The pair are preparing to switch off or restrict certain agent capabilities across their consumer apps after China introduced its first regulations aimed specifically at humanlike artificial intelligence. The rules zero in on systems built to simulate human interaction and cultivate emotional bonds with users.
At the heart of the crackdown are tools that let people build customized digital companions capable of conversations that feel personal and emotionally engaging. Regulators appear concerned that such technology blurs the line between machine and human in ways that could mislead or manipulate users.
Beijing is signaling it wants tight control over AI that imitates human behavior before those tools spread further into everyday life.
For both firms, the shift means winding down features that had been promoted as the cutting edge of consumer AI. Several of the most widely used apps in China will now have to curb these personalized agent functions to remain compliant.
A Setback for a Key Growth Bet
The retreat marks a meaningful reversal for two companies that had staked part of their expansion strategy on AI agents. Emotionally intelligent, customizable assistants had been framed as a way to deepen user engagement and unlock entirely new product categories.
Those ambitions now run headlong into a regulatory climate that has repeatedly favored caution around artificial intelligence, particularly technology that closely imitates people.
- ByteDance and Alibaba will disable or restrict select AI agent features.
- The rules are China's first written specifically for emotionally responsive, humanlike AI.
- The measures affect apps that let users build personalized, conversational agents.
What It Means for China's AI Landscape
Beijing has moved faster than most governments in drafting rules to govern artificial intelligence, and this latest action reinforces its determination to monitor how the technology reaches ordinary consumers. The concern centers on software convincing enough to feel genuinely human.
For the broader Chinese tech sector, the message is clear: features that lean into emotional realism will face heightened scrutiny. Companies chasing growth through AI agents may need to rethink how far they can push toward humanlike interaction without triggering regulatory intervention.