Jiang has spent over a decade in data development, the last four years at a financial company in China. His career had been on a steady upward trajectory — until last year, when his company began deploying localized AI tools across every department, aiming to maximize automation and minimize human involvement.
"Before that, AI was only an assistant at work," Jiang explained. "But early last year, the company pulled people from every department to go all-in on deploying local AI tools, to achieve maximum intelligence and eliminate human roles across positions. Suddenly, the whole office was on edge. Everyone was talking about it, worrying."
The atmosphere in the office shifted from productive to paranoid. Colleagues whispered about who would be next. Some stopped investing in long-term career plans. Others quietly updated their resumes.
Then the announcement came: due to AI mastering core business skills, Jiang's department would cut 50% of its staff by the second half of the year.
"At my age — old parents above, young kids below — facing possible unemployment, I really don't know which way to turn," Jiang said. "I've been in this industry for years, and at my current company for nearly four. To see my career suddenly stall like this — it's very hard to accept."
Jiang's response has been pragmatic but uncertain. He's teaching himself AI development skills, trying to pivot from traditional data programming to AI-related roles within the same company. "If you can't beat it, you join it," he said with a dry laugh. He also mentioned that some colleagues want to switch tracks entirely, moving into industries less affected by AI.
The situation reflects a broader trend in China's tech and finance sectors. According to China University of Political Science and Business School's Human Resources Development and Management Research Center, AI's impact on employment is "profound and systemic" — particularly hitting standardized, high-repetition jobs with clear operational rules, such as customer service, warehouse management, and accounting.
For Jiang, the stakes are deeply personal. His company chose AI over people not because of financial distress, but as a strategic cost calculation. "The 'AI employee' is cheaper, easier to manage, never tires, and sometimes performs even better," he noted, echoing management's reasoning. But the human cost of that calculation falls entirely on workers like him — experienced professionals with families, mortgages, and responsibilities.
He knows the fight may be unwinnable. But he's not giving up without trying.
"I'm learning AI skills, trying to pivot from traditional programming to AI development. If you can't beat it, you join it." The words carry a mix of determination and resignation that millions of workers around the world now share.