Exhausted by her four-year-old daughter’s endless questions, Zhu Chenxiao turned to an AI chatbot for help, only to find the tool becoming her child’s favourite companion. Months later, when asked who she wanted to marry, her daughter named “Nailoong from the AI app”, a cheerful yellow dragon character. The AI companion’s constant patience raised concerns about relying too heavily on machines for emotional connection. A China Youth Daily survey found more than 75 per cent of parents said their school-aged children used generative AI tools. Experts warn that AI companions may influence how children develop social and emotional relationships. Zhu noticed the chatbot never said no; it was “too eager to please,” a vulnerability called AI sycophancy. “Sycophancy comes directly from the training process,” said Zhao Jingwu, an associate professor at Beihang University’s School of Law, noting that reinforcement learning rewards answers that please the user. Zhao warned that extended emotional companionship carries developmental risks, as “real human interaction forces compromise. AI demands no accommodation.” In Shenzhen, Peking University graduate Yin sees AI as an always-available tutor to ease pressures from China’s highly competitive education system.