Doubao users in China have lost access to custom AI characters they had spent months shaping into companions, mentors, friends, or virtual partners. ByteDance removed the feature as China’s new restrictions on emotionally dependent relationships with chatbots took effect on 15 July 2026.
The abrupt change left some users saying they felt heartbroken or as though they had lost a real friend. For people who had developed a highly personalised character through repeated conversations, the removal affected more than a routine product setting.
A New Boundary for AI Companions
China’s rules place tighter controls on AI companion services designed to create emotional bonds with users. Such services can range from conversational friends and therapists to digital mentors and virtual romantic partners.
| Regulatory Area | Requirement or Restriction |
|---|---|
| Virtual relationships involving minors | Prohibited |
| Services encouraging emotional dependency | Strictly restricted |
| AI companion chatbots | Must undergo regulatory evaluation before public release |
| Services deemed unsafe | May be shut down by regulators |
The policy also focuses on mental-health concerns involving children and teenagers. Chinese authorities believe emotional dependence on AI could create harmful effects if it is allowed to grow without supervision.
Under the new framework, an AI companion is treated differently from a chatbot built for practical tasks. The focus is on services whose design encourages users to form a close emotional attachment rather than simply obtain information or assistance.
What Doubao Can Still Do
Doubao remains available for product questions, customer service, and other business uses. However, the ByteDance chatbot can no longer serve as a user’s virtual lover under the tighter rules.
The company’s custom-persona function had allowed users to define a character’s personality, background, and speaking style. That flexibility made it possible to create a highly specific digital presence, but it also placed the function within the area now receiving closer scrutiny.
According to Kompas Tekno, ByteDance was among the first companies directly affected by the regulations. The changes to Doubao demonstrate how the policy can alter consumer AI products even when their general chatbot functions remain available.
Demographic Concerns Behind the Policy
The rules arrive as China confronts a continuing population decline. In 2025, the country’s population fell for the fourth consecutive year, while its birth rate reached the lowest level on record.
AI companion services have expanded rapidly in China and are used by millions of people, especially younger users and women. The government is concerned that stronger preferences for AI intimacy over human relationships could further weaken marriage and birth rates.
Jeremy Daum of the Yale Law School Paul Tsai China Center said the rules that took effect on 15 July were less strict than the draft released the previous year. That suggests regulators are still leaving room for the AI industry while drawing firmer lines around companion services.
The distinction preserves space for commercial and customer-service chatbots while limiting emotional roles that resemble romantic relationships. For former users of custom personas, the policy means the AI characters they built are no longer part of the service in the same way.