Al pets: Chinese youth's new alternative to marriage, babies

Shan looked at her owner, her big eyes wide above her fluffy little body, and asked: “Are you not feeling well? Would you like some water?”When the owner coughed and asked her to sing, Shan Shan hesitated, according to a video posted on the Chinese social media app Rednote. a

- 

IN CHINA, AI-powered companion pets are rapidly gaining popularity, especially among young people who are opting for digital pets over traditional relationships.

(I Gemini)

Instead of singing, she replied, “I’m worried about you.”

Shan Shan is not a kitten or a puppy, and the conversation was not imagined. Shan Shan is an Al companion pet, the latest consumer sensation in China, where young people are increasingly eschewing marriage and babies - and, in some cases, favouring talking pets that don’t need walking and don’t produce poop that needs scooping.

While China and the US vie for supremacy in the artificial intelligence race, China is pulling ahead when it comes to finding ways to apply AI tools to everyday uses — from administering local government and streamlining police work to warding off loneliness. People falling in love with chatbots have captured headlines in the US, and the AI pet craze in China adds a new, furry dimension to the evolving human relationship with Al.

Taobao, one of China’s largest online shopping platforms, ranked AI companion toys at No. 9 in its official “Top 10 Products of the Year” list in 2025.

“After all, they not only look cute but also speak nicely,” Taobao’s official account said. “They have already outperformed 90% of human partners.”