← Back to publications
External PublicationWorld Economic Forum
What China’s enterprise leaders reveal about the next phase of AI at work
Author: Qiqing HeAffiliation: Founder, AIGW Policy ObservatoryPublished: August 2026
China is becoming an important test case for what comes after AI adoption: how companies redesign processes, develop people and build workforce systems around the technology. The article examines signals from Chinese enterprises, career development research and China’s emerging employment policy response to AI-driven workforce transformation.
Key takeaways
- AI transformation starts with process redesign, not simply workforce reduction.
- Human-AI augmentation increases the value of domain expertise, judgement and organizational coordination.
- As AI changes entry-level tasks, employers need to protect the pathways through which younger workers build expertise.
- China’s policy response increasingly treats skills, employment and workforce transition as part of AI infrastructure.
“Workforce infrastructure is becoming part of AI infrastructure.”