Zhihu: digital replacements are being created for laid-off employees in China.
In China, digital replacements are being created for laid-off employees. This is reported by Frankmedia citing data from the Zhihu portal.
Employees are being replaced with the AI agent Colleague Skill. The system is trained based on business correspondence, screenshots of messages, work projects, and documentation specific to an individual. The resulting AI twin can even replicate a person's communication style.
As a result, many employees complained that they were first asked to describe all work processes and decision-making logic in as much detail as possible. After their dismissal, their job responsibilities were transferred to AI assistants.
According to Bloomberg, as artificial intelligence is being implemented, American tech companies are also actively reducing their workforce. In March, employers in the tech sector cut 18,720 jobs. This is 24 percent more than in March 2025. The total number of layoffs in this industry since the beginning of the year has exceeded 52,000.
