China Proposes Draft Rules to Regulate AI Products and Services
The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) has published draft rules aimed at regulating AI products and services within the country. These rules focus on protecting children and curbing harmful self-harm content generated by AI systems.
Under the proposed regulations, AI firms must incorporate personalized usage settings, impose time limits on usage, and require guardian consent before offering emotional companionship services to minors. Operators are also mandated to enable immediate human intervention in any AI conversation related to suicide or self-harm and notify the guardian or emergency contact promptly.
Furthermore, AI-generated content must avoid materials that threaten national security, damage national honour and interests, or undermine national unity.
The CAC promotes the safe adoption of AI to support local culture and provide companionship particularly for the elderly. The administration has invited the public to provide feedback on the draft.
This regulatory initiative comes amid a surge in AI chatbot launches in China, with firms like DeepSeek gaining attention. Startups such as Z.ai and Minimax, each with tens of millions of users, also have plans to list publicly.
Overall, the move signifies China's intent to tighten AI safety oversight as global scrutiny on artificial intelligence intensifies in 2025.
