Top Stories – July 13, 2026
1. China AI Companion Rules: ByteDance and Alibaba Shut Down Features Ahead of July 15 Deadline
Source: Yahoo Finance | Date: July 12, 2026
ByteDance is closing Doubao’s AI persona creation feature on July 15, with Alibaba’s Qwen and Tencent’s Yuanbao issuing similar compliance notices, as China’s Interim Measures on AI Anthropomorphic Interactive Services and Intelligent Agent Implementation Opinions take effect. The rules require CAC security assessments for companion AI services and ban virtual companion products for minors, marking the first nationwide compliance cascade for agentic AI under Chinese law.
2. EU Digital Omnibus Awaits Official Journal Publication as August 2 AI Act Deadline Nears
Source: Tech Jack Solutions | Date: July 10, 2026
The Digital Omnibus – which delays Annex III high-risk AI obligations to December 2, 2027 – has not yet been published in the EU Official Journal, meaning companies cannot formally rely on the extended timelines. Article 50 transparency obligations and GPAI enforcement powers, unaffected by the Omnibus, remain on track to take effect August 2.
3. China MOFCOM AI Model Export Discussions: No Final Decision After Six Days
Source: Time | Date: July 7, 2026
Beijing’s Ministry of Commerce consultations with Alibaba, ByteDance, and Z.ai on restricting overseas access to China’s most advanced AI models – including Qwen, Doubao, and GLM-5.2 – have produced no final policy decision as of July 13. Proposals range from simple filing requirements for basic open-source tools to domestic-only lockdowns for the most sensitive frontier models.