---
title: "AI adoption in Chinese companies boosts productivity but raises concerns about jobs and skills — Marsanne Studio AI watch"
description: "An ILO study of 21 Chinese companies shows AI-driven productivity gains, but also risks for jobs and skills."
url: "https://marsanne.studio/en/ai-watch/ai-adoption-in-chinese-companies-boosts-productivity-but-raises-20b9a2/"
lang: "en"
---

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Data study · 22 September 2026

# AI adoption in Chinese companies boosts productivity but raises concerns about jobs and skills

Original title, in French: “L’adoption de l’IA dans les entreprises chinoises stimule la productivité, mais suscite des préoccupations concernant l’emploi et les compétences”

**Publication**

Organisation internationale du travail (Switzerland)

**Author**

Unsigned

**Published on**

22 September 2026 · read in the page metadata · updated on 25 September 2026

## Summary

An ILO research brief, prepared by Ekkehard Ernst with researchers from Renmin University of China, examines AI adoption in Chinese companies based on interviews with 21 companies and a survey of 1,591 professionals. According to the study, AI generates significant productivity gains, such as a threefold increase in the number of requests handled per day at an insurance company, or a 57% reduction in the recruitment cycle at an insurance group. However, such measurements remain rare and have not been independently verified. The study highlights concerns about skills gaps, the displacement of routine jobs and the impact on workers' future income. According to Ekkehard Ernst, the dominant model remains human-AI collaboration rather than full automation, and training policies and SMEs' access to AI will be decisive.

Summary based on the full text of the article.

[Read the article on Organisation internationale du travail →](https://www.ilo.org/fr/resource/actualites/ladoption-de-lia-dans-les-entreprises-chinoises-stimule-la-productivite)

## Figures cited

-   56 %
    
    share of professionals who consider AI adoption inevitable
    
    1,591 professionals surveyed in China
    
    > « 56 pour cent considèrent l’adoption de l’IA comme une tendance inévitable »
    
    Source: OIT, Artificial Intelligence Adoption in Chinese Enterprises: Productivity Effects, Workforce Implications, and Policy Challenges
    
-   47 %
    
    share of professionals who believe AI creates more jobs than it eliminates
    
    1,591 professionals surveyed in China
    
    > « 47 pour cent estiment que l’IA crée davantage d’emplois qu’elle n’en supprime »
    
    Source: OIT
    
-   39 %
    
    share of professionals who expect their income to fall because of AI
    
    1,591 professionals surveyed in China
    
    > « 39 pour cent s’attendent à ce que l’IA entraîne une baisse de leurs revenus »
    
    Source: OIT
    
-   — requests/day
    
    increase in the number of customer service requests handled per day
    
    insurance company, 300 customer service employees
    
    > « 300 employés du service à la clientèle ont fait passer le nombre de demandes traitées chaque jour de 6 000 à 15 000 »
    
    Source: OIT
    
-   57 %
    
    reduction in the length of the recruitment cycle
    
    large insurance group
    
    > « la durée du cycle de recrutement est passée de 30 à 13 jours, soit une réduction de 57 pour cent »
    
    Source: OIT
    
-   30 %
    
    increase in production efficiency
    
    smart production site
    
    > « Un site de production intelligente a fait état d’une hausse de 30 pour cent de l’efficacité de la production. »
    
    Source: OIT
    

## Classification

**Country**

China

**Company size**

SMEs, Mid-sized companies, Large companies

**Industries**

Industry and manufacturing · Banking, insurance, asset management, finance departments · Consulting, legal, accounting, business services · Construction, civil engineering, real estate · Education and training · Media, communications, marketing · Tourism, hospitality, catering

**Keywords**

productivity, employment, skills, china, hybrid workflows, customer service

Entry written by Marsanne Studio from the cited article, with the help of an AI model (claude-sonnet-5). The rights to the article and its illustrations belong to Organisation internationale du travail. Entry translated from French by Claude Sonnet 5.5.