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Beijing has cracked down on AI chatbots that can replicate human relationships, the BBC says. The report notes that experts are asking whether the approach is the right one.

Why it matters

That puts a concrete question about AI companionship on the table: where should limits sit when a chatbot is designed to mimic a human relationship? The BBC excerpt does not describe the measures or who is affected, so the scope of the crackdown remains unclear.

Discuss: Should governments restrict relationship-mimicking chatbots, or focus on rules for how they are presented and used?

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