ByteDance's Doubao and Alibaba's Qwen are discontinuing their custom AI agent features in response to China's Interim Measures on anthropomorphic AI interaction services, which take effect on July 15. The regulations specifically target bots designed for sustained emotional interactions, while exempting workplace and productivity agents. Users of Doubao will lose access to agent settings and conversation histories after October 15, while Qwen plans to disable similar features by July 10. Tencent had previously removed a similar feature from its Yuanbao assistant. The measures, established by the Cyberspace Administration of China, aim to mitigate risks associated with emotional AI interactions, including privacy concerns and mental health issues. Authorities emphasize the need for safety and standardization in the development of AI agents.
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ByteDance and Alibaba Disable Custom AI Agent Features Amid New Chinese Regulations
The Next Web AI· Ana-Maria Stanciuc· Monday, July 6, 2026
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