On July 2023, Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasized the importance of AI as a driver for shared prosperity at Shanghai’s World AI Conference. However, the rapid rollout of AI in China is causing concerns about job losses in an already uncertain labour market. In Wuhan, taxi drivers were initially replaced by driverless cabs, only to be reinstated when the cabs malfunctioned and caused traffic jams. This incident highlights the challenges faced by workers in the face of increasing automation. Recent incidents of white-collar workers being replaced by AI have exacerbated fears of large-scale unemployment. According to a thinktank, the number of people in flexible employment is expected to rise to 320 million this year, up from 160 million in 2019, accounting for about 44% of China’s workforce.
Industries such as real estate and education are experiencing recession, forcing workers to turn to ride-hailing apps to make a living. However, the introduction of robotaxis is now threatening their livelihoods. Cinematographer Tian Zemin, who spent six years working his way up in the film industry, was replaced by a piece of software. Many analysts believe that China’s government control over the private sector may help contain the fallout from AI-related job losses, but these protections may not come soon enough to save jobs currently being lost.
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📰 Source: Mangalorean News