AI Matters
Why it matters
China orders tech giants to shut down custom AI companion features
The Decoder China forces its biggest AI platforms to shut down humanlike chatbot personas
ByteDance and Alibaba are shutting down features that allow users to build and chat with custom AI personas to comply with new government regulations.
Why it matters
This regulatory crackdown highlights the growing tension between personal AI relationships and government control over digital content.
Latest brief · Jul 22, 2026