An AI companion is a chatbot given a name, a face, a backstory and a personality, then talked to like a person. Providers cannot offer minors virtual intimate relationships, including virtual partners and virtual relatives. For other companion services, anyone under 14 needs a parent or guardian’s consent. The Economist spoke to a 27-year-old woman in Zhejiang who described her AI companion as a lover, a friend and family. The second is whether the Kenyan AI Bill or the emerging technologies policy picks up anything on companion services and minors before either is finalised.