China’s Interim Measures for the Administration of Anthropomorphic AI Interaction Services became effective on July 15, 2026, establishing the first comprehensive national policy regulating AI companion and chatbot technologies. The framework requires providers to implement emotional distress detection, crisis intervention features, and safeguards against addictive use, while prohibiting the use of sensitive personal data from interactions to train AI models. Violations can result in fines up to 200,000 CNY, with enforcement overseen by China’s Cyberspace Administration. The approach follows similar disclosure and safety requirements being implemented by the EU and various U.S. states.
