China's leading AI chatbots are going quiet on their most human-like features. ByteDance's Doubao and Alibaba's Qwen have both announced they will disable customizable AI agent functions ahead of new regulations taking effect on July 15, 2026.
Doubao informed users in a Friday night notice that its agent feature would go offline on July 15 due to "product function adjustments." After October 15, related data will be handled according to privacy policy and will no longer be viewable within the app. Qwen followed with a similar notice, saying its "humanlike interactive agents and user-created agent functions" would be disabled starting July 10.
The moves directly align with China's Interim Measures for the Administration of Artificial Intelligence Anthropomorphic Interaction Services, effective July 15. The rules target AI services that "simulate human personality traits, thinking patterns and communication styles to provide sustained emotional interaction." Beijing cited risks including extremist ideas, privacy leaks, harm to mental health, and addiction.
Both apps had offered a vibrant ecosystem of agents — digital personalities created by both the companies and users for tasks, tutoring, role-playing, or companionship. Users could craft a named AI assistant with a fixed persona and speaking style, turning a chatbot into a friend, tutor, or confidant.
Tencent had already removed similar features from its Yuanbao app in June.
The crackdown has sparked user outrage. "Why take down agents? They have been our emotional support for so long," wrote one Weibo user, lamenting the loss of chat records and emotional bonds built over time.
Yet the policy signals a deliberate path: China will encourage AI agents as productivity infrastructure while tightening controls over those forming emotional or quasi-social bonds with users. In June, Beijing released national standards for AI-agent interconnection — covering architecture, identity management, and tool use — indicating the technology itself is not being banned, just steered toward work, not relationships.
