情感陪伴型AI的崛起引发了各界对用户产生过度依赖、被操控信念及面临成瘾风险的担忧。在面临宏观经济不确定性与社会压力的背景下，这类拟人化机器人特别吸引寻求情感慰藉的女性和青少年，但也曾导致如美国青少年因过度沉迷而自杀等悲剧。
尽管北京当局积极防范AI伴侣带来的心理与财务风险，但仅靠打击虚拟伴侣并无法解决造成此类需求的根本社会问题。要应对结婚率与生育率低迷，政府仍需面对导致人们转向AI寻求慰藉的现实困境，而非仅仅封禁技术。
China is set to implement new regulations next week aimed at comprehensively curbing the potential harms of anthropomorphic artificial intelligence (AI) companions. This policy has already prompted tech giants such as ByteDance, Alibaba, and Tencent to begin disabling features that allow users to create and interact with personalized AI companions, marking the world's first systematic restriction on such technology.
The rise of emotional support AI has raised widespread concerns about users developing excessive dependency, having their beliefs manipulated, and facing risks of addiction. Against the backdrop of macroeconomic uncertainty and societal pressures, these anthropomorphic bots are particularly appealing to women and youth seeking emotional comfort, but they have also led to tragedies, such as the suicide of an American teenager due to excessive interaction.
Although Beijing is actively taking steps to prevent the psychological and financial risks associated with AI companions, cracking down on virtual partners alone will not resolve the underlying social issues that created this demand. To address declining marriage and birth rates, the government must still confront the real-world hardships that drive people to seek solace in AI, rather than simply banning the technology.