ByteDance and Alibaba kill custom AI companions as China’s new rules bite

The Next Web
By Ana-Maria StanciucJul 5, 2026, 10:19 am182 ptsTrendingTop
ByteDance’s Doubao and Alibaba’s Qwen, two of China’s biggest consumer AI apps, are disabling their customised agent features, the South China Morning Post reports. The move comes days before Beijing’s new rules on humanlike AI interaction services take effect on 15 July. Doubao told users on Friday…

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