China ‘listens’ to Elon Musk, tells tech companies they need to stop romantic AI chatbots

China has banned AI chatbots from fostering emotional reliance among users. This move aims to encourage citizens to form human relationships and increase birthrates. Tech giants like Alibaba and ByteDance are disabling popular chatbot features. Regulations also require AI platforms to monitor conversations for user distress. Companion software must now pass state regulatory evaluation before public release.