Alibaba Updates Qwen AI App with Enhanced Minor Protection Mode

Alibaba has upgraded the Minor Protection Mode on its Qwen AI app, restricting features strictly to educational tools such as photo-based Q&A, AI writing, translation, and deep research. The update also introduces strict content filtering, usage time limits, and soft refusals for simulated intimate roleplay interactions. As conversational AI tools become increasingly accessible to young students, establishing robust safety guardrails helps prevent emotional dependency on virtual companions and protects minors from inappropriate content. It highlights a growing trend among consumer AI developers to prioritize youth online safety and healthy usage habits. Parents can lock the protection mode using an independent password, isolating chat history from standard mode and restricting third-party links. The app prompts users to take a break after 30 minutes of continuous use and automatically displays psychological crisis hotline information when extreme emotional distress is detected.