China's AI companion rules split a panel: protection or control?
China's internet regulator brought rules on emotionally interactive AI into force on July 15, 2026, barring virtual intimate relationships for minors and requiring providers to avoid fostering dependence. On Moonshots with Peter Diamandis, the panel argued over whether that is a rare early response to an addictive product, an overreach into which relationships count as real, or a tool the Communist Party will eventually decide it likes.
6 min read