His boss asked if AI could replace human coders. Two weeks later, he and 160 colleagues were laid off in Beijing | Fortune

A computer programmer in Beijing, Fei Zhaojun, says his boss asked whether AI could replace human coders, and about two weeks later Fei and roughly 160 colleagues were laid off. The case reflects a broader shift in China’s job market as AI adoption accelerates under government policies. Economists cited in the report warn this could eventually weaken the momentum of the world’s second-largest economy. In practice, many workers are being pushed out—or trying to adapt by experimenting with AI-enabled businesses. Fei, 40, is taking a career break and making short vlog-style videos, while Du Qinchun, a translator in Chengdu, uses AI training to generate interim work, after pay in the sector dropped by more than half. IDC data says the share of industrial firms using AI models and “agents” jumped to 47.5% in 2025 from 9.6% in 2024.