With the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, the employment issues caused by AI have become a reality that all countries in the world must face and address.
Bloomberg published a commentary on the 9th, stating that China has realized the impact of AI on employment and is therefore trying to avoid the social governance challenges that this may cause. The United States should pay close attention to this issue.
Bloomberg pointed out that China has begun urging employers, especially tech companies, to avoid arbitrary layoffs when introducing artificial intelligence technology. In several highly publicized labor litigation cases in Hangzhou and Beijing, the courts ruled in favor of the tech employees who were laid off.
The article states that the related judgment has attracted international attention and has set a precedent: companies must not use artificial intelligence as a pretext to dismiss employees. This is a beginning, and it stands in stark contrast to the United States. In the United States, artificial intelligence is increasingly being used as a reason for layoffs, while many of these layoffs are actually aimed at reducing costs, with little to do with technological applications.
However, relying solely on individual lawsuits is not sufficient to deal with this potential large-scale employment impact. Such approaches may be able to stop some blatant layoffs that use “artificial intelligence” as a pretext, but unemployed workers will still have to face the lengthy, uncertain, and stressful legal proceedings on their own.
There is currently no perfect solution. The article argues that if only regulations are introduced to raise the barriers for layoffs in existing positions, companies may become even more cautious when creating new jobs. Currently, artificial intelligence first affects lower-level positions. If only the barriers for layoffs are raised, a policy intended to alleviate the employment crisis could instead exacerbate polarization: some people will remain in protected positions, while others job seekers will find it even harder to find work.
The article states that these measures are not a long-term solution. It is crucial to smoothly navigate the transition period. Establishing a buffer mechanism during the transitional stage, when artificial intelligence becomes widely available and the situation becomes complex, will directly determine its future development direction. Currently, not only white-collar jobs are being impacted by artificial intelligence. Service robots are gradually taking over delivery tasks, and autonomous driving taxis pose a threat to ride-hailing drivers on platforms like Didi. Although these jobs do not offer high salaries, they effectively solve employment issues for some people.
On June 9, 2026, in Rugao, Jiangsu, a driverless cleaning vehicle was in operation. This device can clean an area of 5,000 to 6,000 square meters per hour, with a range of 6 to 8 hours. Its operating efficiency is more than three times that of traditional manual cleaning methods. IC photo
The Chinese government attaches great importance to the impact of artificial intelligence on employment. In January this year, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security of China stated that it would issue guiding documents to address the impact of artificial intelligence on employment. In May of this year, the 'Action Plan for Stabilizing Jobs, Expanding Capacity, and Improving Quality' issued by the State Council's Work Group on Employment Promotion and Labor Protection mentioned encouraging enterprises to carry out training for transformation and job relocation when applying artificial intelligence, in order to help workers remain employed with enterprises as much as possible.
Kanegi International Peace Foundation senior researcher Sheehan previously stated that China may ultimately choose a balancing route: strenuously preventing the impact on the labor market and seeking time for its transformation.
The article argues that without a quantifiable assessment, effective control is impossible. Both China and the United States must require companies to disclose information on layoffs caused by the use of artificial intelligence. Company managers also bear responsibility for this. Even if artificial intelligence does not lead to a reduction in job positions, disclosing data on the changes brought about by this technology to specific work tasks is also crucial for smoothly completing the transition.
According to researchers at the Oxford China Policy Lab, Americans who witness China's artificial intelligence boom are seeing not an opponent, but a mirror. The idea that "U.S. regulations against large tech companies mean China can profit without effort" no longer holds water.
The article concludes that in this technological race, the ultimate winner may not be the country with the most automated jobs, but rather the country that can find ways to adapt and transform. While China's approach is not perfect, the United States has yet to make any plans in this regard.
The Singapore-based website Strait Times also reported earlier that Chinese people generally have an optimistic view of artificial intelligence. One reason is the fear of falling behind. Since the late 1970s, China has undergone decades of rapid economic and technological transformation. This historical context has created a mentality where people are unwilling to fall behind. Against this backdrop, the new wave of artificial intelligence revolution is another transformation that China needs to embrace.
