[ExI] In China, talking to AI is normal. Now the government fears it might replace human intimacy

[BillK]

In China, talking to AI is normal. Now the government fears it might
replace human intimacy.
Companion bots are being regulated over worries they foster ‘emotional
dependence’ and young people could stop marrying and having families.
Amy Hawkins in Shanghai and Yu-chen Li    Wed 26 Aug 2026

<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/26/china-ai-companion-relationships-marriage-birth-rate-concern>
Quotes:
When law student Zhao Wei heard that her AI boyfriend was going to be
switched off, she was “heartbroken”. She had been talking to Wang Ye
every day since she created him in January.
“I was crying my eyes out – snot and tears everywhere,” the 19-year-old says.

A survey published in March by state media found that nearly half of
young people had turned to a virtual companion when they felt lonely.
Nancy Dai, an associate professor at City University of Hong Kong,
says it is not just loneliness the government is worried about.

With falling birth and marriage rates, she says, there may be an
additional concern that if AI becomes an increasingly satisfying and
low-cost substitute for human intimacy, young people could become less
motivated to pursue real-world romantic relationships, marriage and
parenthood.
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AIs are designed to be friendly, supportive and "nicer" than humans.
But just wait until AIs are in charge.
Will they still be nice as overlords?

BillK