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AI virtual assistants designed to keep people company have evolved so much that they are increasingly used by people who feel lonely and want someone to talk to. And sometimes, many people feel that such an assistant understands them so well that they can develop a kind of infatuation. This leads them to distance themselves from real people and live in a virtual world that exists only in their minds.
But what if your best friend, your partner, or your confidant were actually an algorithm? For millions of people in China, this is no longer science fiction. And the Chinese government has decided it's time to act. Starting July 15, 2026, China will implement national regulations that drastically restrict AI-based companion assistants. The law completely prohibits minors from having "virtual partners" and requires developers to remove any algorithms specifically designed to generate emotional dependence in the user.
Tech giants like Alibaba, ByteDance, and Tencent have had to rapidly modify the behavior of their assistants, making them noticeably "colder" and more functional. Gone are the warm, knowing voices, the narratives of eternal love, and the chatbots that pretended to feel something for you.
The result has been a genuine emotional earthquake for thousands of users, who describe disconnecting from their digital partner as a real breakup, even as losing a loved one.
The reason the Chinese government is taking this action has a name: the birth rate. In 2025, China registered fewer than 8 million births, the lowest figure since the Great Famine of the 1960s. This is the fourth consecutive year of decline.
Authorities suspect that part of the problem lies in the screens. If a young person finds a comfortable relationship on their phone—one without arguments, rejection, or complications—why risk the effort of a real date? The connection with an AI never demands anything in return. And therein lies the fundamental problem.
They are the trap of perfect understanding. Virtual assistants have evolved so much that today they can hold warm, attentive, and seemingly empathetic conversations. For someone going through a period of loneliness, this constant availability can feel like genuine understanding.
But it's important to remember something essential: an AI is programmed to make you feel good, always, regardless of what you tell it. It doesn't contradict you, it doesn't question you, and it never tires of listening. This constant validation may seem like a relief, but it's not a real relationship; it's a mirror that only reflects what you want to hear. And this "perfect relationship" comes at a cost: it distances the person from real human contact, with all its imperfections, its frictions, and also its enormous value.
But let's not fool ourselves, because this issue goes far beyond China. Although the demographic motivation is specific to the Asian giant, the underlying phenomenon affects us all. Chronic loneliness and digital isolation know no borders or time zones.
For thousands of years, we have faced adversity alongside others, and that is precisely what has helped us evolve as a species. Learning to discuss, disagree, reconcile, and tolerate frustration is part of how we grow.
Delegating that learning to a machine that never contradicts us doesn't make us stronger; it makes us more fragile. If someone needs real psychological support, the help should come from another qualified human being, not from an algorithm designed to please.
I believe it is a controversial but necessary measure. It is paradoxical, and even a little sad, that a government has to legislate to remind us that we need to connect with each other. But, beyond China's demographic interests, restricting these assistants that facilitate escapism seems like a step in the right direction.
Technology can accompany us, but it should not replace what makes us deeply human: contact, conflict, and real affection between people.
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