At Global Tech Meet, Firms Confront Job Disruptions in the AI Era

SHANGHAI — Amid concerns over disruptions to employment caused by the almost ubiquitous adoption of AI, particularly for women, senior executives from leading Chinese technology firms are recognizing the need to navigate this transformative landscape. 

Participating in a panel discussion at the AI Women Elites Forum during the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai Thursday, executives acknowledged that while AI may automate certain entry-level jobs, it also creates new career opportunities and demands for jobs involving data collection and processing.

Sharing insights on navigating the rapidly changing landscape of work driven by AI applications, discussions centered on the impact of AI programs like ChatGPT and other generative AI technologies that have gained significant traction in recent months.

This year, the WAIC in Shanghai holds particular significance as China strives to leverage technology for economic growth across industries while also addressing mounting public concerns. 

The global AI frenzy sparked by the launch of ChatGPT has also prompted a need for responsible regulation. With expectations of a record number of visitors, the conference aims to showcase over 30 domestically developed large language models and facilitate more than 20 forums, bringing together industrial players, analysts, and researchers to collectively find solutions for these crucial objectives.

At the discussion on Thursday, panelists underscored that employers have hastened to adopt AI tools and are encouraging employees to embrace AI-generated content at work. 

Chen Yunwen, CEO of the Shanghai-based information technology firm Data Grand, said his company, as well as their clients, are increasingly turning to AI to work more efficiently, as such tools showcase strong capabilities in assisting the company with its legal, financial, and recruitment tasks.

“Work that is dull, lacks creativity, and is highly repetitive should be undertaken by an automated system. Therefore, I believe that positions requiring emotions and creativity are more suitable for humans,” said Chen, adding that many entry-level positions were likely to disappear soon. 

Yang Hua, director and vice general manager at Cloudwalk, a domestic AI firm, echoed Chen’s sentiments. She stated that his company has fewer workers in its R&D department as machines have taken over a significant portion of the programming work. 

Cloudwalk, she said, has successfully implemented its self-developed large language model in its legal affairs, resulting in the automation of various tasks previously performed by humans.

According to Yang, AI has demonstrated its potential by successfully undertaking tasks typically assigned to senior employees. Drawing from personal experience, Yang explained that she has embraced AI to provide real-time answers to investors and perform content-generation tasks, including the creation of regular company profiles.

Despite its potential to disrupt jobs, Chen believes that AI’s rise will boost the data industry, creating demand for data-related work. He expects more women to excel in these positions, citing their diligence, patience, and strong summarizing skills as skills that put them ahead of their male counterparts. 

“We shouldn’t hold a gender bias in the AI era,” said Chen, underscoring that it was now vital for women to enhance their digital knowledge.

“It’s more about changes to work content and patterns rather than replacing jobs,” said Xu Lang, chief information officer at Michelin China. 

Citing the example of receptionists, Xu acknowledged that while some professionals may be replaced, technology creates opportunities to focus on understanding consumer demand and generating valuable knowledge for machines, which would foster a positive feedback loop. 

Xu also mentioned that technological advancements lower the threshold for women to excel in technical skills, thereby strengthening their advantages in soft skills compared to men.

A recent study conducted by Goldman Sachs revealed that generative AI has the potential to impact approximately 300 million full-time jobs worldwide, resulting in significant disruption to the employment market. 

Women are often more susceptible to these changes, with research indicating that 80% of women in the U.S. workforce are in occupations highly exposed to generative AI automation, compared to 60% of men.

According to a report by PricewaterhouseCoopers, the emergence of AI-related technologies in China may lead to a reduction of 20% in existing jobs over the next 20 years, necessitating career shifts for hundreds of millions of workers. 

However, the report also highlights that the country could experience a positive net increase in employment due to AI and its related technologies. These advancements are expected to create new job opportunities, particularly in the service and construction sectors.

Wang Xiaojing, secretary general of Ant Foundation, a private charitable group backed by tech giant Alibaba, said the development of AI and other digital technologies would also create new job opportunities in rural China. 

Wang highlighted the impact of the “Cyber Mulan” initiative, stating that it has facilitated over 4,000 individuals across 17 counties in becoming data labeling specialists since 2019. 

The data labeling industry is projected to reach a market size exceeding 12 billion yuan ($1.6 billion) by 2025, with a shortfall of 50,000 skilled professionals. Wang expressed optimism about the employment prospects for rural women, emphasizing the significant opportunities and possibilities offered by the rapid growth of the digital industries.

Editor: Apurva. 

(Header image: Robots perform a thousand-hand Guanyin dance at the 2023 World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai, July 6, 2023. IC)

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