China Issues Draft Rules to Govern Human-Like AI Systems

The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) released draft rules on December 27, 2025, aimed at regulating AI services that mimic human behavior and emotions. The document sets strict requirements for providers of virtual companions and chatbots: they must implement mechanisms to prevent psychological addiction among users, especially minors. Furthermore, any content generated by such systems must be clearly labeled as machine-made and fully align with "core socialist values."

This initiative comes in response to the explosive growth in popularity of AI characters in Asia. The regulator fears that excessive anthropomorphization of algorithms could lead to social isolation of citizens and a blurring of reality. The new rules also prohibit using AI to create content that could disrupt public order or morality. Experts believe these measures will force Chinese tech giants like Baidu and Tencent to seriously rethink the architecture of their consumer products, reducing their level of "emotional" engagement.

Source: Reuters