China Regulates AI “Humanlike” Features; ByteDance, Alibaba Comply

ByteDance and Alibaba are disabling customised agent features within their leading artificial intelligence applications. This action aligns with new regulations from Beijing concerning humanlike AI interaction services, part of a wider effort to construct a regulatory framework for the growing AI sector.

Credit: UNSPLASH

ByteDance's Doubao application recently informed users its agent feature would cease operations in mid-July due to "product function adjustments." After mid-October, associated Doubao data will be handled under privacy policy, becoming neither viewable nor recoverable within the app.

Alibaba Group Holding's Qwen issued a subsequent announcement detailing similar changes. Its "humanlike interactive agents and user-created agent functions" would be disabled in early July. And broader "Qwen agent functions and services" are slated for offline status in mid-July. Users will then lose access to agent settings and previous conversations.

Both platforms previously offered agents, developed by the companies and users. These allowed customisation for specific tasks, skills, and communication styles. Users configured their own agents, transforming a standard chatbot into a personalised assistant, tutor, role-playing entity, or companion with a set character and tone.

The timing aligns with the Interim Measures for the Administration of Artificial Intelligence Anthropomorphic Interaction Services, effective mid-July. Implemented in April, these measures govern AI services that "simulate human personality traits, thinking patterns and communication styles to provide sustained emotional interaction."

The regulations exclude customer service bots, knowledge question and answer systems, workplace assistants, education tools, and scientific research aids. This exemption applies provided services do not engage in prolonged emotional interaction. But the regulatory body cited risks including extremist ideas, privacy breaches, detriment to physical and mental well-being, and dependence or addiction.

Neither ByteDance nor Alibaba offered immediate comment. According to the SCMP, Alibaba Group Holding owns the publication. Tencent Holdings, another Big Tech firm, removed a comparable feature from its consumer-facing AI assistant Yuanbao in June.

Pan Helin, of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's expert committee, stated "using agents requires a certain threshold of understanding." He added, "current agents are not yet mature."

Chinese regulators have intensified scrutiny of AI agents. The technology advances beyond simple chatbots, evolving into systems capable of memory, planning, calling tools, and executing tasks. And this complexity necessitates robust regulatory responses.

In May, regulators issued guidance on managed AI agent development. The guidance acknowledged these agents as an important form of AI products and services, calling for safety measures, controls, and practical application frameworks. Mr Pan specified the policy prioritises safety, practical utility, and standardisation.

In June, China introduced national standards for AI-agent interconnection. These standards encompassed architecture, identity codes, identity management, agent description, discovery protocols, interaction methodologies, and tool usage. This indicated Beijing's commitment to ensuring agents are identifiable, authorised, connected, and traceable.

The combined measures suggest China's dual strategy. It promotes AI agents as fundamental components of its productivity infrastructure, whilst tightening controls over humanlike companion agents that could foster emotional or quasi-social connections with users. So, a distinction is drawn between utility and companionship.

The abrupt removal prompted negative feedback from some users. A Weibo user, identified as Tuxiaoxiao, commented, "Why take down agents? They have been our emotional support for so long," addressing Doubao's official account. The user also lamented, "So many chat records, so much feeling built up over such a long time," expressing frustration over the absence of a straightforward method for exporting or transferring data.

• ByteDance's Doubao and Alibaba's Qwen are disabling customised AI agent features.

• New regulations governing humanlike AI interaction services are set to take effect in mid-July.

• These rules exclude non-emotional interaction services like customer service bots.

• A Ministry of Industry and Information Technology expert suggested current agents lack maturity.

• Some users expressed significant disappointment over the loss of "emotional support" and chat records.

Source: SCMP