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Will AI replace human jobs? A new look at the debate
By Zhi Chunli, People's Daily
At a primary school in Fuzhou, east China's Jiangxi province, students watch intently as a quadruped robot demonstrates its AI capabilities during class. (Photo by Zhu Haipeng/People's Daily Online)
In an era where artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping everyday life, a familiar question has once again captured public attention: Will AI replace human jobs?
The query, often posed on platforms like China's DeepSeek, encapsulates both fascination and apprehension toward a technology that is increasingly integral to modern living.
A matter of perception and reality
At its core, the concern over AI is not entirely new. For decades, researchers have labored to instill machines with human-like perception and cognition - a quest that dates back to the 1950s. Yet today's AI, driven by breakthroughs in machine learning, big data analytics, and statistical pattern recognition, remains fundamentally different from human thought. Rather than "thinking" in the human sense, these systems execute sophisticated algorithms that mimic certain aspects of decision-making without the nuance of emotion or judgment.
Take, for example, the generation of poetry. Where a human poet might invoke the fleeting beauty of spring or the melancholy of autumn, AI assembles words based on probability matrices - a demonstration of computational power rather than creative insight. This distinction is critical: while AI enhances our capabilities, it does so as a tool rather than as a replacement for the uniquely human capacity for empathy, aesthetics, and ethical judgment.
The shifting landscape of employment
In certain sectors, the integration of AI has already begun to reshape the workforce. Automated systems now serve as drivers, hosts, teaching assistants, and even doctors. Robotic systems perform tasks - from precise weightlifting to comprehensive inspections in challenging environments - with a reliability and stamina that human workers find it difficult to match. These developments prompt a reassessment of which roles might eventually be supplanted by machines.
However, history offers a broader perspective. Just as the advent of automobiles replaced horse-drawn carts, and printing technology rendered scribes obsolete, the rise of AI is expected to create as many new opportunities as it renders old ones redundant. The decline of certain roles often gives way to a proliferation of new industries and professions - a pattern that suggests a long-term expansion of employment opportunities even as the nature of work evolves.
Charting a course for the future
According to China's government work report this year, under the AI Plus initiative, the country will work to effectively combine digital technologies with its manufacturing and market strengths. It will support the extensive application of large-scale AI models and vigorously develop new-generation intelligent terminals and smart manufacturing equipment, including intelligent connected new-energy vehicles, AI-enabled phones and computers, and intelligent robots.
Just two months into 2025, Chinese AI is already making waves, with breakthroughs ranging from open-source AI models and intelligent robots, and intensified research into elder-care robots and the integration of AI into educational curricula. This sweeping AI Plus revolution is poised to invigorate industries across the nation.
Historically, China lagged during the steam and electricity revolutions. Today, however, the nation views AI as an important driving force for the new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation. The Chinese government takes AI as a strategic sector, channeling investment into industries of the future, computing infrastructure, and real-world testing environments. At the same time, China is actively addressing ethical challenges, ensuring that the rapid pace of AI innovation remains aligned with humanity's broader interests.
"Tech for good" is creating more opportunities for every individual.
In China - a civilization with over 5,000 years of history - nearly 250 million people are embracing generative AI, and core AI sectors are producing an economic value of nearly 600 billion yuan ($82.77 billion). From chips and algorithms to data ecosystems, platforms, and apps, every segment of the AI industrial chain is igniting a modern boom.
"What's humanity's edge over AI?" I reached out to DeepSeek with a simple yet profound query.
The reply was incisive: "AI is an extension of rational capacities, while humanity remains a complex interplay of emotion and logic. The true peril is not that machines think like humans, but that humans work like machines." This striking comparison invites us to consider the delicate balance between technological advancement and the human spirit.
As we stand on the cusp of this evolving landscape, the challenge is clear: Can we harness the potential of AI while preserving the essential qualities that make us human? The answer may well depend on how we choose to conduct this unfolding human-AI orchestra.
The query, often posed on platforms like China's DeepSeek, encapsulates both fascination and apprehension toward a technology that is increasingly integral to modern living.
A matter of perception and reality
At its core, the concern over AI is not entirely new. For decades, researchers have labored to instill machines with human-like perception and cognition - a quest that dates back to the 1950s. Yet today's AI, driven by breakthroughs in machine learning, big data analytics, and statistical pattern recognition, remains fundamentally different from human thought. Rather than "thinking" in the human sense, these systems execute sophisticated algorithms that mimic certain aspects of decision-making without the nuance of emotion or judgment.
Take, for example, the generation of poetry. Where a human poet might invoke the fleeting beauty of spring or the melancholy of autumn, AI assembles words based on probability matrices - a demonstration of computational power rather than creative insight. This distinction is critical: while AI enhances our capabilities, it does so as a tool rather than as a replacement for the uniquely human capacity for empathy, aesthetics, and ethical judgment.
The shifting landscape of employment
In certain sectors, the integration of AI has already begun to reshape the workforce. Automated systems now serve as drivers, hosts, teaching assistants, and even doctors. Robotic systems perform tasks - from precise weightlifting to comprehensive inspections in challenging environments - with a reliability and stamina that human workers find it difficult to match. These developments prompt a reassessment of which roles might eventually be supplanted by machines.
However, history offers a broader perspective. Just as the advent of automobiles replaced horse-drawn carts, and printing technology rendered scribes obsolete, the rise of AI is expected to create as many new opportunities as it renders old ones redundant. The decline of certain roles often gives way to a proliferation of new industries and professions - a pattern that suggests a long-term expansion of employment opportunities even as the nature of work evolves.
Charting a course for the future
According to China's government work report this year, under the AI Plus initiative, the country will work to effectively combine digital technologies with its manufacturing and market strengths. It will support the extensive application of large-scale AI models and vigorously develop new-generation intelligent terminals and smart manufacturing equipment, including intelligent connected new-energy vehicles, AI-enabled phones and computers, and intelligent robots.
Just two months into 2025, Chinese AI is already making waves, with breakthroughs ranging from open-source AI models and intelligent robots, and intensified research into elder-care robots and the integration of AI into educational curricula. This sweeping AI Plus revolution is poised to invigorate industries across the nation.
Historically, China lagged during the steam and electricity revolutions. Today, however, the nation views AI as an important driving force for the new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation. The Chinese government takes AI as a strategic sector, channeling investment into industries of the future, computing infrastructure, and real-world testing environments. At the same time, China is actively addressing ethical challenges, ensuring that the rapid pace of AI innovation remains aligned with humanity's broader interests.
"Tech for good" is creating more opportunities for every individual.
In China - a civilization with over 5,000 years of history - nearly 250 million people are embracing generative AI, and core AI sectors are producing an economic value of nearly 600 billion yuan ($82.77 billion). From chips and algorithms to data ecosystems, platforms, and apps, every segment of the AI industrial chain is igniting a modern boom.
"What's humanity's edge over AI?" I reached out to DeepSeek with a simple yet profound query.
The reply was incisive: "AI is an extension of rational capacities, while humanity remains a complex interplay of emotion and logic. The true peril is not that machines think like humans, but that humans work like machines." This striking comparison invites us to consider the delicate balance between technological advancement and the human spirit.
As we stand on the cusp of this evolving landscape, the challenge is clear: Can we harness the potential of AI while preserving the essential qualities that make us human? The answer may well depend on how we choose to conduct this unfolding human-AI orchestra.
