Artificial intelligence is beginning to reshape China's job market, supported by state policies that some economists believe might undermine the overall strength of its economy HONG KONG -- Computer programmer Fei Zhaojun's boss asked him if artificial intelligence could soon replace humans in coding jobs. Two weeks later, he was laid off from his job in Beijing, together with about 160 of his colleagues. It's an increasingly common scenario as artificial intelligence, supported by government policies, reshapes China’s massive job market.
Some economists believe that might eventually undermine the overall strength of the world's second largest economy. Rapid adoption of AI in many fields, from computer programmers to script writing and physical tasks, is pushing people out of their jobs or leaving them afraid that it might. China is at the vanguard of AI adoption as government policies encourage people and businesses to use AI applications and robotics in all aspects of life, so people like Fei are figuring out how to adapt.
Most people seem either positive, neutral, or mildly interested in AI,” said Shujing He, a Beijing-based senior analyst at advisory and research firm Plenum. He's not making a living off of his videos, which are about ordinary people's lives, but hopes that they might help others. Du Qinchun, a part-time translator, has been helping to train an AI model to do translations.
That’s brought him more work, at least temporarily. The trend is so evident that popular college programs in foreign languages have increasingly fallen out of favor as AI-powered translation tools have become more widespread. The share of Chinese industrial enterprises saying they use AI models and “agents” jumped to 47.5% last year from 9.6% in 2024, according to the market intelligence firm IDC.
Humanoid robots can now, for example, sort parcels in postal centers, although still on a small-scale basis, and are pushing the boundaries in performing more human tasks such as directing traffic and making coffee. Food delivery robots are also gaining ground across the country, potentially threatening the livelihoods of millions of Chinese food delivery workers. Generative AI increasingly is used for creation, production and distribution in China’s short drama industry.
The number of live-action short and vertical video series designed for mobile phones fell about 75% in the first quarter of this year from a year earlier, according to Chinese media reports. This is particularly evident in software development and multimedia creation,” said Plenum’s He. Under China's “AI Plus” initiative and its five-year plan through 2030, the government is pushing to infuse AI across many industries, aiming to gain an edge in China's technology rivalry with the U.S.
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