China has implemented a regulation banning all virtual relationships between AI chatbots and minors that involve emotional bonding and relationships. The new rules also require companion chatbots to undergo regulatory evaluation before being offered to the public and give the government a freer hand to shut down any deemed unsafe. The crackdown targets emotional AI relationships as regulators worry about the country's record low birthrate. In 2025, China’s population shrank for the fourth time in a row, with birth rates falling to a record low. According to local studies, over 70% of users in China have exhibited a serious dependency on AI tools to some extent, and 23% have reportedly formed a regular reliance on AI tools. Anthropomorphized AI characters have progressed to the stage of even bearing children for their human companions, and another popular trend is resurrecting dead family members using AI.