Less than 10% of people surveyed in China said they were worried artificial intelligence would make it harder to find a job, according to new research that points to an unusually upbeat public view of the technology. The findings suggest Chinese attitudes toward AI are far less anxious than the concerns often seen in other countries.
The survey, released by University College London in collaboration with the London-based consultancy Public First, found broad confidence that AI can help workers rather than replace them. About one-third of respondents said they believed the technology would generate more high-skilled jobs, while a large majority said they were already using AI frequently in the workplace.
The poll showed that 96% of Chinese respondents said they used AI at work every week. That level of reported use points to a technology that is already deeply embedded in day-to-day professional activity, at least among the people included in the survey.
Support for teaching AI skills was also strong. Seventy-nine percent of respondents said university students should be taught to use AI effectively, reflecting a view that familiarity with the technology is becoming an important part of education and future employability.
Public First said the results indicate that, while anxiety about AI remains common globally, Chinese respondents appear to be broadly confident about its impact on work, skills and learning. The consultancy said the polling suggests a belief that AI can support higher-value work and help people develop future-ready capabilities.
The survey's authors said China's positive public sentiment could help position the country well in the global race to lead in artificial intelligence. A workforce that is already using the tools and views them as useful may be better prepared to adopt new applications across industries.
The findings also highlight a different public conversation around AI than the one dominating many labor markets elsewhere, where workers and policymakers are often focused on possible job losses, task automation and the need for retraining. In the Chinese survey, those worries appeared to be a minority view.
University College London surveyed more than 1,000 people in China in late April through an online questionnaire. The results were released on Monday.
The report does not claim that AI poses no labor risks in China, but it does show that concern about employment disruption is currently limited among the people surveyed. Instead, the dominant view appears to be that AI is a practical tool that can improve productivity, support education and open up more advanced work.
As governments and companies worldwide debate how fast AI should be adopted, the survey suggests that public acceptance in China may already be running ahead of the caution seen in many other places.