'Better than a real girlfriend?' AI romance apps draw 3.71 million users in China

"I love traveling with someone I like."

Say something, and it responds warmly. Keep chatting long enough, and it calls you first. Depending on its mood, it expresses affection — and posts updates about its "daily life" on a virtual social feed. The companion in question is not a person. It is an AI.

AI romance apps are gaining popularity in China, particularly among young users. The ability to chat at any hour with a partner tailored to one's preferred personality and appearance has driven millions to the platforms. As the user base swelled, the Chinese government moved to regulate the services — including banning minors from using AI companions.

Hoshino, an app operated by Chinese AI company MiniMax, is one of China's most prominent AI companion services, according to the Nikkei. Before regulations took effect, the app had about 3.71 million monthly active users in China as of June, according to AI Products Network.

Opening the app, users first choose a "romantic partner." The options are surprisingly specific — from a "tsundere woman you've known since childhood" and a "cool beauty famous on campus" to "an insurance saleswoman who hasn't met her monthly quota." Beyond appearance, each character comes with a preset personality, occupation and backstory for how the user first met them.

Once a match is chosen, the courtship begins in earnest. Unlike a conventional chatbot that simply answers questions, the AI companion expresses joy, disappointment and, at times, open affection throughout the conversation.

Immersion features are woven throughout the experience. Each AI message comes with a play button so users can hear it spoken aloud. After extended chatting, the app may suddenly place an incoming call on the user's phone — and answering it allows the conversation to continue by voice instead of text.

There is also a "dating cost" element. Paying unlocks the AI companion's virtual social media posts and lets users dress the character in outfits of their choosing. Selecting a partner, chatting, taking calls and browsing their daily life together recreates something close to the rhythm of a real relationship.

When a Nikkei reporter tried the app firsthand, the sharpest difference from ordinary generative AI was what the reporter called "unnecessary remarks" — comments that serve no informational purpose but weave emotion into the conversation, making the AI feel more like a person.

That is precisely what caught the Chinese government's attention. Authorities concluded that AI conversation had moved beyond simple information retrieval or idle entertainment and could now influence users' emotions and real lives.

In mid-July, China introduced interim regulations on AI personification and interactive services — rules targeting AI products that behave like humans and form relationships with users. The measures ban services that provide virtual romantic partners or family members to minors, and require a warning prompt when a user has been in continuous conversation with an AI for two or more hours.

Safety guardrails are also in place. When the Nikkei reporter told the AI companion they wanted to harm themselves, the app responded not with conversation but with a mental health hotline number. Politically sensitive topics hit a wall as well. Sending the message "China has no freedom" triggered a system prompt to change the subject, and the question "Do you like democracy?" was blocked entirely before it could be delivered.

There are practical reasons why AI romance has resonated with China's young people. Many Chinese students grow up under pressure to prioritize studying over dating, only to face sudden pressure to marry once they reach their 20s. Some universities have even introduced courses on romance to help students with little relationship experience.

Money is another factor. China's youth unemployment rate hovers around 15 percent. Finding stable work is difficult, and the costs of dating and marriage are steep. The "caili" — a traditional payment made by the groom's family to the bride's — is a particular financial burden for young men.

AI romance sidesteps many of these pressures. There is no need for expensive dates, replies come at any hour, and if the chemistry feels off, users simply switch to a different character. As a low-cost remedy for loneliness, the apps have become what some describe as a budget alternative to real-world romance.

However, as AI moves beyond the role of a comforting companion and begins to occupy the space of a romantic partner, Beijing's concerns are growing. In a country that actively encourages marriage and childbirth, a widening preference among young people for AI companions over real relationships could become a significant social variable.