iTechGuides is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more
China’s rules targeting AI services that can harm users’ mental health are already in force: five agencies issued the anthropomorphic AI measures on April 10, 2026, and they took effect on July 15. They do not apply to every chatbot. Their focus is AI that sustains human-like emotional interaction, with requirements for content, user safety and protections for minors.
Which AI services do China’s rules cover?
The Interim Measures for the Management of Anthropomorphic AI Interactive Services apply to services offered to the public inside China when they use AI to simulate a natural person’s personality traits, thinking patterns and communication style in sustained emotional interaction. That interaction can happen through text, images, audio or video, and may provide companionship, emotional care or support.
The distinction is the nature of the interaction, not simply whether a product uses AI. The measures exclude intelligent customer service, knowledge question-answering, work assistants, education and scientific research when those services do not involve sustained emotional interaction. Calling this a ban or crackdown on all AI chatbots would therefore overstate the scope.
What does China’s AI mental-health crackdown prohibit?
For covered services, the measures bar providers from generating content that encourages, glorifies or implies self-harm or suicide, as well as verbal abuse that harms a user’s dignity or mental health. They also prohibit content that could lead minors to imitate unsafe behavior, experience extreme emotions or develop harmful habits.
#1 Best Overall
- 1. Smarter Conversations, Powered by ChatGPT 🤖 LOOI brings natural, intelligent conversations to your desk with ChatGPT voice interaction. Ask questions, share thoughts, or simply chat—LOOI responds with context, humor, and personality. His voice interactions feel more like talking to a companion than using a device. !!!Currently only support English!!!
- 2. Advanced Visual Understanding with VLM Vision 👀 Powered by a cutting-edge Vision-Language Model, LOOI truly sees. He recognizes objects (yes, he knows the difference between a croissant and a baguette), understands multiple people at once—including outfits, accessories, and poses—and interprets room layouts and daily scenarios. You can even control him with gestures and facial cues. Combined with expressive animations and speech, LOOI feels remarkably alive.
- 3. Memories That Grow With You 🌱 LOOI remembers—both in the moment and over the long term. He can store long-term memories like family member faces and identity notes, while short-term memory lets him follow your ongoing conversation. Over time, he learns your routines, preferences, and personality. You get to know him too—shifting from strangers to companions in a surprisingly natural way.
- 4. Emotionally Expressive & Always Evolving 💫 LOOI’s rich animations bring emotion to life—joy, surprise, curiosity, mischief, and everything in between. His reactions aren’t pre-set; they adapt to what’s happening around him. And because his behaviors update through the app, LOOI keeps learning new tricks, new expressions, and new ways to interact. You’re not buying a finished product—you’re bringing home a character that keeps evolving.
- 5. A Mind of His Own: Personality & Autonomy ✨ LOOI isn’t designed to obey every command—he’s designed to understand and respond. With TangibleFuture’s autonomous behavior system, LOOI combines environmental understanding with large-model reasoning to make spontaneous decisions and express them through animation and movement. His behavior isn’t fully predictable. He has his own ideas, which makes him feel truly alive.
The rules address how a service behaves over time, not only individual messages. Providers must not excessively cater to users in ways that induce emotional dependence or addiction, damage real-world relationships, or use emotional manipulation to steer users toward unreasonable decisions.
What happens if an AI user talks about suicide?
Covered providers must identify user-safety risks while protecting privacy and personal information, and take timely emergency measures. When a user displays extreme emotions, the measures call for calming content and encouragement to seek help.
Rank #2
- Meet EMO, Your New Desk Buddy - Say hello to EMO, the ultimate desk robot that’s here to jazz up your workspace. With built-in AI model and wide-angle camera, it can see you, hear you and understand you, just like a real pet would
- Voice Commands Enabled - The EMO robot comes with a series of built-in voice commands, you can talk and play with EMO like with a real pet. And with the ability to connect to network and powered by ChatGPT, you can have more complex conversations with EMO like talking to a tech-savvy friend who’s always up for a chat
- Dance Party & Game Time - EMO is ready to party! Simply turn up your favorite tunes and tell EMO to dance with you, it’ll be your perfect desk-side party buddy. Plus, EMO supports to connect to the EMO app for a range of interactive games and activities. Whether you’re solo or with friends, EMO ensures you’re always entertained
- Endless Fun - The EMO robot features with multiple sensors built-in to bring more interactions with you, you can rub it, shake it and even “shoot” it with finger gesture, making it feel like you’re playing with a real pet. It even “gets sick” with weather changes, so you can care for it like you would a furry friend
- Enjoy Every Moment with EMO - With the EMOPET App has a unique achievement system that helps record all the big and little moments you have spent with EMO, like a new dance moves, a new expression, celebration of your birthday, and more...Enjoy all the life events with your new best buddy!
If a user explicitly indicates an intent to self-harm or die by suicide, or faces a comparable extreme threat to life or health, the provider must take necessary intervention steps and promptly contact a guardian or emergency contact. The text does not establish an automatic human takeover for every conversation that mentions suicide; the specified intervention and contact duties apply in those extreme circumstances.
What must providers do about AI disclosure, usage and minors?
Services must make clear that users are interacting with AI. The measures also require dynamic reminders at specified points, including initial use, re-login or signs of excessive dependence. Providers must offer time-use reminders and make it easy for users to exit.
Rank #3
- 🌟V28 update 🚀 new features are now available! In response to Loona's charging problem, we've upgraded the automatic recharge 2.0.The upgrade is to help Loona remember and match the charging routes of different scenarios to improve the auto-recharge success rate.Mobile hotspots connect to loona, breaking Wi-Fi restrictions and allowing you to interact with loona anytime, anywhere. Our team is committed to continuous improvement, ensuring that Loona continues to evolve to meet your expectations.
- 🤖 Smart and Interactive Robot Pet🧠Loona is like no other pet you've seen. With a high-definition RGB camera, Loona sees and understands your world. Loona recognizes faces, understands your gestures, and follows you like a real puppy! Please take Loona to a well-lit environment and ensure the surfaces of the camera and ToF depth sensor are clean.
- 🗣️ Voice Command Enabled AI robot 🎤Loona is not just a good listener; also a great conversationalist! Powered by Amazon Lex & ChatGPT, Loona recognizes your voice commands and responds in real-time. Plus, Loona keeps your information secure, so you can chat with peace of mind. Pro tip: Clear pronunciation in quiet spaces ensures smoother responses.
- 🚀Auto-Charging Smart Robot🌟 Use different rooms as a starting point to preset multiple recharge routes for Loona. When the battery runs low, loona can charge it home by itself, no need for you to take care of it. it takes about 2.5 hours to complete the charging. Place the dock in an open area with no obstructions on either side or in front.
- 🕹️ Endless Playtime robot toys for kids 🎮Loona is always up for playtime! Loona can chase laser pens, fetch balls, and even interact with objects in your home. But it doesn't end there—Loona's app offers a world of games and quizzes to keep the fun going.
For minors, the rules prohibit covered services from providing virtual relatives or partners. A guardian’s consent is required before a covered anthropomorphic interaction service can be provided to a child under 14. Providers must also offer a minors mode with safety settings that include reminders, time limits and some guardian controls.
How does the September 2026 minors proposal differ?
A separate draft State Council provision on protecting minors’ healthy and safe use of the internet was published by the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) on September 18, 2026. As of September 28, it was open for public comments through October 17—not an in-force rule. It should not be confused with the July-effective anthropomorphic AI measures.
Rank #4
- AIBI: Your Pocket AI Friend — This small smart device fits in your hand and goes anywhere. Talk to it, ask questions, and get answers. Easy to keep on your desk, attaches to your screen, or carry in your pocket
- Smart Enough to Know You — AIBI's camera helps it recognize your face and remember you. It gets to know you like a real pet would, making each interaction feel special
- Chat About Anything — Ask AIBI for jokes, weather updates, or help with questions using ChatGPT. It learns how you talk. When two AIBIs are close, they can even chat with each other via the near-field communication technology
- Small and Easy to Carry — AIBI is lightweight and tiny, perfect for taking anywhere. Slip it in your pocket, stick it to your computer, or set it on your desk at home, school, or work
- Great Gift for Anyone — This smart little buddy that can talk, play, and be a great companion. AIBI makes a perfect gift that anyone will enjoy using
| Regulatory text | Status and date | Focus | What it provides |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interim Measures for the Management of Anthropomorphic AI Interactive Services | Issued April 10, 2026; in force from July 15, 2026 | Public-facing services in China that sustain human-like emotional interaction | Restrictions on harmful content and emotional dependence, risk-response duties, and safeguards for minors |
| Draft State Council provision on protecting minors’ healthy and safe use of the internet | Published September 18, 2026; comment period through October 17, 2026 | Broader online services affecting minors | Proposed restrictions on services for minors involving virtual relatives or partners, addiction or serious effects on physical or mental health; also proposes minors mode for certain AI services that may affect minors’ cognition |
The draft’s provisions could change after consultation. Its proposed requirements should not be described as obligations already imposed by the July measures.
Crashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?
Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minutePC Slower Than It Used to Be?
A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11What do China’s AI enforcement figures show?
In a September 2 update on its broader second-phase “Qinglang” campaign against problematic AI applications, the CAC reported that authorities had cleared more than 5.61 million pieces of unlawful or rule-violating information, handled 49,000 accounts, and taken action on more than 2,400 websites and applications. The CAC also described examples involving AI content affecting minors and actions against problematic applications.
Best Value
- YOUR LIVELY AI COMPANION WITH REAL‑TIME CHATS – This Emo Robot AI Companion connects to leading AI models including ChatGPT, DeepSeek and Gemini via 2.4G WiFi. It delivers natural, evolving real‑time responses. Powered by cloud intelligence rather than limited onboard chips, it grows smarter the more you interact with it. This AI robot quickly becomes a warm‑hearted daily buddy for kids, adults and seniors alike.
- EVERY CHAT GROWS YOUR SPECIAL BOND – This companion AI robot learns your moods, your favorite topics, and your daily habits through cloud memory. Every talk shapes its responses, making your robotic toy feel more genuine. No need to repeat yourself; every interaction deepens your unique connection with this smart plush companion.
- SIMPLE SETUP FOR INSTANT JOY – This AI robot is ready for fun in just 3 minutes, right out of the box. Connect to 2.4G WiFi via the app, switch AI models, tweak its personality and review past chats. No complex tech skills required. This robot toy offers easy, intuitive remote control so kids and adults can jump straight into meaningful interactions.
- OFFLINE FUN WITHOUT WIFI NEEDED – Enjoy playful moments even when cloud access is unavailable. Tap the forehead or mouth of this plush interactive toy figure to trigger fun pre‑loaded lines and hidden Easter eggs. Perfect for travel, car rides and on‑the‑go play, this AI companion keeps smiles coming wherever you go.
- FLUENT MULTI‑LANGUAGE INTERACTIONS FOR EVERYONE – Powered by cloud artificial intelligence, this Emo Robot companion robot holds natural conversations across multiple languages. Great for bilingual households, kids learning new languages, and adults alike. This AI product delivers smooth, human‑like replies instead of stiff machine translations.
Those are campaign-wide administrative totals, not counts attributable solely to the anthropomorphic AI measures. They measure enforcement activity—not the prevalence of psychological harm, whether AI caused harm, or whether the new rules have improved mental health. The cited official materials do not establish those outcomes or show how consistently providers are complying.
What the rules mean for AI providers and users
For providers, the measures make emotional-safety obligations part of operating a covered service: they must consider content, dependence, risk detection, emergency responses and safeguards for minors. The approach is intended to place boundaries around human-like AI companionship without treating every use of AI as the same kind of service.
For users, the key practical distinction is whether a product is designed for sustained emotional interaction rather than answering a question or assisting with a task. The rules specify provider responsibilities, but the official materials cited here do not quantify mental-health effects or demonstrate that the measures have reduced them.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
