Workers in China worry over being replaced as they adapt to the growing
impact of AI on jobs
[August 24, 2026] CHAN
HO-HIM and FU TING
HONG KONG (AP) — 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.
“There appears to be far less anti-AI sentiment in China (than
elsewhere). 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.
“Individuals who worry about being replaced, as well as those who have
already left traditional workplaces, are often eager to experiment with
AI-enabled businesses and independent ventures,” she said. “The level of
interest is striking.”
Until recently, Fei had doubted AI could do programming work perfectly,
even though his bosses thought it was close enough.
“Mid-level coders’ job are essentially replaceable in most of the
cases,” said Fei, 40. “Even if it is a disaster that leads to replacing
all humans, at this stage, you just have to use it as everyone else is
using it.”
Now he's making vlog-style short videos during a career break while
figuring out what he wants to do next. He's not making a living off of
his videos, which are about ordinary people's lives, but hopes that they
might help others.
If you can’t beat them, join them
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.
“But it’s true that the pay in the industry has been cut by more than
half compared to what it was years ago,” said Du, who is based in
southwestern China’s Chengdu city.
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.
“China’s vibrant open-source model ecosystem fosters greater AI
application innovation in industrial settings, gradually closing the gap
between foundational model capabilities and real-world enterprise value
creation,” said Yanze Du, an IDC senior research manager in Beijing.
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.
“Tasks that once required specialized training can now be performed by
almost anyone with access to AI tools. This is particularly evident in
software development and multimedia creation,” said Plenum’s He. “As a
result, workers whose roles are narrowly concentrated in these areas may
face greater displacement risk.”
A report from International Labor Organization, meanwhile, found that
women face higher risks of losing employment due to use of AI than men,
as they tend to work in areas more suitable for automation, such as
assembling electronics, and remain underrepresented in science and
technology.
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Fei Zhaojun, a former software engineer works on his computer at his
home in Beijing on July 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
 AI has mixed effects on the
slowing economy
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.
“What is specific to China is that the government is really into
diffusing AI across the economy, so AI may get into different
domains more quickly comparing to other countries,” said Zilan Qian,
a research associate at Oxford China Policy Lab.
China's economic growth has already been slowing. Consumer spending
has lagged partly due to people becoming reluctant to spend because
they're worried about losing their jobs. It's added to problems
stemming from a prolonged downturn in the housing market that has
undermined household wealth.
China’s tech industries may be innovative with high productivity,
but they may not generate many new jobs, said Eswar Prasad, a
professor of economics and trade policy at Cornell University.
“AI is likely to lift productivity across the board but could have a
severe disruptive effect on employment, worsening the employment
growth problem and resulting in a detrimental effect on social
stability,” he said.
Similar to their U.S. rivals, Chinese tech giants have cut or
restructured tens of thousands of jobs, partly due to AI. The
outlook for the broader jobs market remains uncertain: China’s
overall urban unemployment rate hovers around 5%, but unemployment
for people aged 16 to 24, excluding students, is roughly triple
that.
That said, in the longer run, some experts say unemployment rates
could fall, since China's population of 1.4 billion is rapidly aging
and shrinking.
By 2050, China is projected to have fewer than two working-age
adults to support each retiree, compared with more than 2.5 in the
U.S., said Xuenan Cao, a professor at San Francisco Bay University
whose focus includes technology and society.
“Automation could partially offset a shrinking workforce rather than
being purely a threat to it,” Cao said.
Some embrace AI to find new ways to make a living
Wang Zhicheng, 32, often used AI for brainstorming and fact-checking
in his previous job as a scriptwriter for a company that produces 3D
animated educational videos and interactive exercises for children.
After its parent company laid off roughly half of its 13 script
writers, he chose to resign and work independently, making
illustrated children’s books.
While AI sometimes saved time the scripts it generated, they often
felt strange, Wang said. Episodes tended to be repetitive and
formulaic and the level of detail devoted to knowledge varied
widely.
“You can treat AI as a tool just like (Microsoft) Word," said Wang,
who has started his own studio making picture books and other
creative works. “Humans are still the decision makers on which one
to pick or pursue among all that AI generates.”
High school chemistry teacher Yang Zheng said he doesn't consider AI
as a threat to his job even though students use AI for help with
their homework.
“Teachers cannot be there all the time,” he said. “It is a good
thing for students as it generates in real-time so that students can
ask follow-up questions," said Yang, 29. “It often gets things
wrong, but it improves over time.”
____
Fu Ting reported from Washington. AP video producer Wu Jia in
Beijing contributed to this story.
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