Rules to oversee personified services powered by AI

China has issued a set of interim measures for the administration of personified interactive services powered by artificial intelligence, set to take effect on July 15.

The policy document was jointly released by five departments, including the Cyberspace Administration of China and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

Acknowledging innovative applications of the service in sectors such as cultural communication, childcare and companionship for seniors, the departments said that problems, such as harmful content for minors, threats to cybersecurity, as well as magnifying ethical deviations, have also surfaced.

The document aims to regulate the rapidly growing sector under the principle of promoting both development and law-based governance. Measures include encouraging AI innovation and applications in sectors such as cultural communication and elderly care.

Strict restrictions will be imposed, for example, on providers offering virtual relatives, virtual companions or other intimate relationships to minors.

The document also specifies requirements for safety assessments, the use of algorithms, and sandbox security services for AI.

Plan unveiled for national mental health service system

Twenty-five government departments, including the National Health Commission, have jointly released an implementation plan to establish a comprehensive social psychological service system and crisis intervention mechanism covering all age groups by 2030.

The plan outlines 18 key tasks across five core areas.

It targets key groups including children, adolescents, the working population and vulnerable groups, aiming to improve public mental health and strengthen social governance.

Key measures include expanding mental health counseling services at grassroots and educational institutions, building a professional talent pool of psychologists and volunteers, and leveraging the 12356 mental health hotline for accessible support.

It also mandates enhanced crisis intervention for major emergencies, integrating the move into the national Healthy China and Safe China initiatives.

Best practices selected to promote urban renewal

The Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development and the Ministry of Natural Resources have jointly released a compilation of replicable practices sourced nationwide to guide urban renewal initiatives and foster high-quality urban development.

The compilation outlines seven core measures categorized into four dimensions: enhancing pre-project planning, refining supporting policies and standards, optimizing administrative approval procedures and streamlining government services.

It highlights 30 exemplary cases from provincial-level regions, including Beijing, Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Hebei.

Notable examples include Zhejiang's innovative model featuring residents' spontaneous renewal of dilapidated housing, and Shandong's optimized approval framework for historical cities, towns and villages.

For the measure on streamlining government services, the document cites the example of Linyi in Shandong, which has introduced a one-stop service to facilitate the repurposing of idle factories and shops.