Problem
Research questions and friction points this paper is trying to address.
AI companions
regulatory transition
relational continuity
collective contestation
China
When AI Companions Disappear: Relational Continuity and Collective Contestation during China's National AI Regulatory Transition
🤖 AI Summary
研究探讨了中国2026年人工智能监管过渡期间，用户对多个AI服务提供商执行新规定后的反应和集体抗议，采用质性内容分析法。
📝 Abstract
AI model updates and service withdrawals can disrupt relationships with AI companions, but research has largely examined individual platform events. Less is known about users' responses when multiple providers implement shared national regulations. We examine users' reactions and collective contestation surrounding China's 2026 regulation of anthropomorphic AI interaction services. We collected RedNote discussions from April 10 to August 10, 2026, used a validated language model for relevance screening, and conducted qualitative content and thematic analyses of 89 posts, 1,425 comments, and 2,005 replies. Users retained, migrated, and reconstructed companions, finding that preserving conversation records did not necessarily restore shared memories or familiar interactions. They compared regulations, platform explanations, and implementations to assign responsibility. Solidarity emerged through mutual aid and appeals to respect other communities' attachments, while disputes over targets and tactics exposed contested terms of collective action. Infrastructural dependence connected relational continuity and collective contestation during this national regulatory transition.
Innovation
Methods, ideas, or system contributions that make the work stand out.
AI companions
national regulations
relational continuity
collective contestation
infrastructural dependence
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