China’s AI Boom Puts Jobs At Risk As Automation Sweeps Across Workplaces
New Delhi: China’s rapid adoption of artificial intelligence is reshaping workplaces across industries, boosting productivity but also intensifying concerns about job displacement, particularly among young workers, a report has said. Also Watch: As Beijing accelerates efforts to integrate AI into nearly every sector of the economy, employees in fields ranging from software development to delivery…
China's swift embrace of artificial intelligence is transforming workplaces, driving productivity gains but also raising alarms about job losses, especially among younger workers, a report revealed. As Beijing pushes to embed AI across all sectors, staff in sectors like software programming and delivery services are experiencing the effects, according to a Quartz report.
Beijing-based programmer Fei Zhaojun, for instance, lost his job when his employer started testing if AI could handle coding duties typically carried out by humans. He was among approximately 160 colleagues let go during the company's downsizing. Fei, reflecting on the change, noted that many mid-level programming jobs are becoming redundant as AI capabilities advance.
Since his job loss, he has moved away from the tech field, now making short-form videos and contemplating his next career step.
The pace of AI adoption in China is rapid. Only a few percent of Chinese industrial firms used AI models and agents as of 2024, but this rose to nearly half of all industrial businesses the following year, underscoring the swift incorporation of the technology to enhance efficiency and cut costs. This transformation is also becoming more apparent in everyday life.
Humanoid robots are now employed in logistics tasks, such as sorting parcels, while autonomous vehicles are starting to handle duties like traffic control. Food delivery robots are becoming more prevalent in urban areas, sparking worries about the long-term fate of millions of workers in delivery and similar services.
The labor market implications coincide with a tough period for China's youth. Even though the overall urban unemployment rate in China is around 5 percent, joblessness among those aged 16 to 24 who are not in education is significantly higher, nearing three times the national average. Analysts caution that extensive automation could make it even harder for younger workers to find steady employment.
Economists acknowledge the advantages of AI, including higher productivity and economic growth, but caution that widespread job displacement could exacerbate existing employment pressures and lead to social instability if new opportunities do not materialize promptly.
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