(Yicai) July 3 -- Ethical issues related to adult emotional companionship can become quite complicated for companies making bionic robots, according to the chief executive of Chinese humanoid robotics startup DroidUp.

Although the emotional companionship direction appears to have promising commercial prospects for robot makers, it also faces numerous risks and controversies in China, Li Qingdu, who is also the founder of Shanghai-based DroidUp, told Yicai. The advancement of large language models has made it relatively easier to deploy robots designed for emotional companionship and not for household chores, he noted.

Amid soaring sales of humanoid robots, China has unveiled the Interim Measures for the Management of Anthropomorphic AI Interactive Services, which will come into effect on July 15. This will be the world's first national-level regulatory framework specifically targeting scenarios such as artificial intelligence and virtual companions.

Based on current technology, the implementation of robots in industrial scenarios requires careful economic consideration, Li said. Clients focus on return on investment, commercial prospects, and other factors, he pointed out.

DroidUp's bionic humanoid robot Moya primarily targets high-end reception, health care companionship, education and growth, and intellectual property entertainment in business-to-business scenarios, Li said. The company has received more than a thousand orders, he noted.

On June 30, Chinese humanoid robot maker Ubtech Robotics launched its new UWORLD U1 series of full-size ultra-bionic androids designed for emotional companionship and not for household chores, priced from CNY119,800 to CNY990,000 (USD17,645 to USD145,820), having secured 13,361 pre-orders so far. In comparison, it sold 1,079 units of its full-sized humanoid robot aimed at industrial scenarios last year.

In addition, several other Chinese startups have also launched super bionic robots, with many industry experts believing that the market has significant potential.

Regarding China's interim measures, they specify that AI and virtual companions are prohibited from engaging in illegal religious activities, disseminating obscene, pornographic, gambling, violent content, or inciting crime. They must not spread rumors, insult or defame others, or infringe upon the legitimate rights and interests of others.

They also prohibit the generation of content that encourages, glorifies, or implies self-harm or suicide, harming users' physical health, or content involving verbal abuse that damages users' dignity and mental well-being. They forbid content that seeks to induce or extract state secrets, work secrets, trade secrets, personal privacy, and personal information.

In addition, content that excessively caters to users, fosters emotional dependence or addiction, harms users' real interpersonal relationships, manipulates emotions to induce users to make unreasonable decisions, infringing upon their legitimate rights and interests, is banned.

Youth protection is also addressed in the measures, stipulating that services offering virtual relatives, virtual companions, or other forms of virtual intimate relationships must not be provided to minors. Content that could lead minors to imitate unsafe behaviors, generate extreme emotions, or induce harmful habits that may affect their physical and mental health is also prohibited.

For any anthropomorphic interactive services provided to minors under the age of fourteen, consent must be obtained from their parents or other guardians, according to the measures.

Although some companies are looking for breakthroughs to enter the C-end market, many bionic robot makers, including AheadForm and Noetix Robotics, still primarily collaborate with B-end clients.

Editor: Martin Kadiev