3 weeks ago
China's Tech Force Faces Mass AI-Driven Layoffs, Report Says
In China, many people used to work for big internet companies like Tencent, Alibaba and ByteDance.
Their jobs were famous but very tiring, with some people working from 9 in the morning to 9 at night, six days a week.
Now, computers with artificial intelligence, called AI, have learned to write computer code.
Because AI can do this work, companies don't need as many human programmers.
A new report says China's five biggest internet companies let go of more than 130,000 workers in the last 18 months.
One AI helper is said to be able to do the work of 100 people.
Some companies even removed 30 to 40 out of every 100 workers.
Older workers worry the most, because the average worker at these companies is now only about 27 years old.
Many families who thought their jobs were safe now worry about paying their mortgages.
AI tools are rapidly replacing programmers in China, according to a report from Sri Lanka-based Daily Mirror.
China's five major internet giants have cut over 1.3 lakh (130,000) employees in the past 18 months.
The report says one AI agent can replace the work of 100 people and a company of 50 programmers can now match the productivity of 5,000.
Alibaba reduced 30–40 per cent of its workforce, while Baidu and JD.com laid off thousands of employees.
Salaries are declining, the average age at some tech giants is now 27.5, and older workers with families are increasingly excluded.
- Who
- China's five major internet giants — Tencent, Alibaba, ByteDance, Baidu and JD.com — and their programmers.
- What
- Mass AI-driven layoffs as artificial intelligence tools replace programmers, cutting over 1.3 lakh (130,000) jobs in 18 months.
- Where
- China.
- When
- Over the past 18 months, according to the Daily Mirror report.
- Why
- AI coding tools let one engineer direct hundreds of systems, with one AI agent said to replace the work of 100 people.
Key facts
- Report Source
- Sri Lanka-based Daily Mirror
- Total Layoffs
- Over 1.3 lakh (130,000) employees across five major internet giants in 18 months
- Companies Involved
- Tencent, Alibaba, ByteDance, Baidu, JD.com
- Alibaba Workforce Reduction
- 30–40 per cent
- Work Culture
- '996' — 9 am to 9 pm, six days a week
- Average Age at Some Tech Giants
- 27.5 years
- Productivity Claim
- One AI agent can replace the work of 100 people
Quotes
Daily Mirror report
An unnamed source from the Daily Mirror report
“Once prestigious jobs now seem insecure, with salaries declining even for graduates of elite universities…The average age at some tech giants is now 27.5”
thehansindia.com
“A company with 50 programmers now equals the productivity of 5,000”
thehansindia.com










