ByteDance’s Doubao and Alibaba’s Qwen will discontinue their custom AI agent creation features on July 15, 2026, as China’s new rules on anthropomorphic AI interaction services take effect. Both platforms will stop allowing users to create new agents, and existing user-made agents will cease functioning, though users can view their configurations in read-only mode until October 15. The shutdown coincides with Beijing’s Interim Measures for the Administration of Anthropomorphic AI Interaction Services, which targets AI products offering sustained emotional or companion-like interaction. The move signals tighter regulatory oversight of China’s consumer-facing AI agent market.
