---
title: "AI adoption in Chinese companies boosts productivity but raises concerns about jobs and skills — Marsanne Studio AI watch"
description: "An ILO study shows that AI improves productivity in Chinese companies while raising concerns about jobs and skills."
url: "https://marsanne.studio/en/ai-watch/ai-adoption-in-chinese-companies-boosts-productivity-but-raises-9f9744/"
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 Spanish: “La adopción de la IA en las empresas chinas impulsa la productividad, pero plantea preocupaciones sobre el empleo y las competencias”

**Publication**

Organisation internationale du travail (Switzerland)

**Author**

Unsigned

**Published on**

22 September 2026 · read in the page metadata · updated on 23 September 2026

## Summary

According to an ILO research report, produced by Ekkehard Ernst with researchers from Renmin University of China, artificial intelligence is generating significant productivity gains in Chinese companies. The study is based on in-depth interviews with 21 companies and a survey of 1,591 professionals across a range of industries. Companies report notable productivity gains, but these are rarely measured systematically. The report highlights difficulties related to employee resistance, skills, the quality of AI outputs and regulation. According to Ekkehard Ernst, the dominant model remains collaboration between humans and AI rather than full automation, with skills and management capacity, rather than the technology itself, being the main obstacle. The report recommends strengthening training, supporting career transitions and making it easier for SMEs to access AI.

Summary based on the full text of the article.

[Read the article on Organisation internationale du travail →](https://www.ilo.org/es/resource/noticias/la-adopcion-de-la-ia-en-las-empresas-chinas-impulsa-la-productividad-pero)

## Figures cited

-   56 %
    
    share of professionals who consider AI adoption inevitable
    
    survey of 1,591 professionals in China
    
    > « el 56 por ciento considera que la adopción de la IA es una tendencia inevitable »
    
    Source: OIT
    
-   47 %
    
    share of professionals who think AI creates more jobs than it destroys
    
    survey of 1,591 professionals in China
    
    > « el 47 por ciento cree que la IA crea más empleos de los que desplaza »
    
    Source: OIT
    
-   39 %
    
    share of professionals who fear a drop in their income because of AI
    
    survey of 1,591 professionals in China
    
    > « el 39 por ciento espera que la IA provoque una disminución de sus ingresos »
    
    Source: OIT
    
-   15,000 queries/day
    
    increase in the number of queries handled per day by customer service staff at an insurance company
    
    300 employees of an insurance company, China
    
    > « 300 empleados de atención al cliente aumentaron el número de consultas gestionadas diariamente de 6.000 a 15.000 »
    
    Source: OIT
    
-   57 %
    
    reduction in the recruitment cycle at a large insurance group
    
    large insurance group, China
    
    > « el ciclo de contratación se redujo de 30 a 13 días, lo que representa una disminución del 57 por ciento »
    
    Source: OIT
    
-   30 %
    
    increase in production efficiency at a smart factory
    
    smart manufacturing plant, China
    
    > « Una planta de fabricación inteligente informó de un aumento del 30 por ciento en la eficiencia de la producción »
    
    Source: OIT
    

## Classification

**Country**

China

**Company size**

Micro-businesses, SMEs, Mid-sized companies, Large companies, All sizes

**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

**Companies**

Universidad Renmin de China (study author)

**Keywords**

productivity, employment, skills, china, automation, hybrid work

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.