<p>The generation of optically coherent ultrashort pulses by mode-locked lasers has revolutionized advancements in modern science and technology. These pulses often arise from the formation of dissipative solitons, which emerge due to a balance between energy excitation and dissipation. Harnessing the concept of parity–time (PT) symmetry to control this balance, we demonstrate a new type of laser dissipative soliton hosted in linearly coupled ring cavities. Our experiments are performed in a laser where the linear hybridized modes are in the PT-symmetric phase. Here we experimentally observe the formation of short pulses, stabilized by the selective breaking of the PT symmetry by Kerr nonlinearity. Our results unlock new possibilities for passive mode-locking by demonstrating spontaneous pulse formation in PT-symmetric lasers, which hold the potential for simple cavity designs.</p>