ByteDance and Alibaba remove AI companion features before China’s July 15 rules

Doubao and Qwen are disabling humanlike agent functions ahead of China’s new anthropomorphic AI measures, as regulators broaden enforcement through the CAC’s Qinglang campaign.

Summary

ByteDance and Alibaba are shutting down humanlike agent features in Doubao and Qwen before China’s Interim Measures for the Administration of AI Anthropomorphic Interaction Services take effect on July 15. ByteDance said Doubao’s agent feature will go offline on July 15, with related data becoming unrecoverable after October 15 under its privacy policy, while Alibaba’s Qwen will remove “humanlike interactive agents and user-created agent functions” on July 10 and broader agent services on July 15. The moves come as the Cyberspace Administration of China said the first phase of its 2026 Qinglang campaign removed more than 14,000 non-compliant AI products and over 6 million pieces of illegal or harmful information, while tightening oversight of registration, safety filtering, labeling and training data management.

Terms & Concepts
  • AI anthropomorphic interaction services: AI services designed to mimic human-like personalities and relationships.
  • sustained emotional interaction: Ongoing AI engagement aimed at forming emotional bonds with users.
  • Qinglang campaign: China’s annual “Clear and Bright” internet governance crackdown, expanded in 2026 to cover the AI ecosystem more broadly.