India, July 18 -- China has become the first country to introduce rules specifically targeting AI companion apps, with new regulations aimed at curbing emotional dependence on chatbots. The ultimate aim is to encourage people to form real-world relationships.

The regulations, which came into effect on July 15, have prompted major Chinese tech companies including ByteDance, Alibaba and Tencent to disable or scale back personalised AI companion features. The rules apply to AI services designed for ongoing emotional interaction, such as virtual boyfriends and girlfriends, rather than customer service or productivity chatbots.

China's concerns extend beyond mental health. Officials fear that deep emotional bonds with AI companions could dis...