JD.com founder Richard Liu is placing a blunt timeline on the way forward for supply work: as soon as robots are prepared, many couriers might now not be wanted.
Speaking on the 2026 APEC CEO Forum in Beijing, Liu mentioned supply employees would turn into “basically no longer needed” as soon as robotic supply techniques mature, in line with the Financial Times. But JD.com is just not framing the shift as a easy job-cutting plan. The firm says it’s working with faculties in China to retrain staff for technical roles inside its personal operations.
The rigidity is whether or not retraining can maintain tempo with automation at JD.com’s scale, the place a whole bunch of hundreds of employees might finally discover themselves within the path of robots.
Inside JD.com’s workforce
To perceive the size of Liu’s remarks, it helps to take a look at JD.com’s workforce.
According to European Business Magazine, JD.com employed greater than 900,000 individuals as of March 31, 2026. About 700,000 of them work in supply and frontline logistics, placing automation straight within the path of one of many firm’s largest labor teams.
Unlike many rivals, the corporate depends much less on outsourced contractors and retains a lot of its operations in-house.
For an organization of that dimension, automation is greater than a cost-saving measure; it’s a main operational technique.
Preparing employees for automation
While Liu was direct in regards to the way forward for supply work, he proposed a plan targeted on retraining quite than speedy layoffs.
Under this plan, supply employees will obtain coaching for roles in robotic upkeep and servicing. European Business Magazine additionally mentioned the initiative will create 183 new frontline position sorts. However, it stays unclear whether or not these positions will probably be sufficient to soak up employees displaced by automation.
Liu’s remarks additionally come as Chinese authorities take a more in-depth take a look at how corporations deploy AI within the office.
The Financial Times, citing knowledge from the China New Employment Forms Research Center, reported that China is predicted to have about 320 million gig employees this yr, up from 200 million 5 years in the past. At the identical time, youth unemployment stood at 16.3% in April, highlighting the potential penalties of any large-scale job displacement.
That concern is already discovering its method into courtrooms. In one current case, a Chinese courtroom reportedly ordered compensation for a employee who was dismissed after refusing a demotion and pay lower tied to AI-driven restructuring.
JD.com now faces the problem of balancing automation with Liu’s promise. For different corporations, the initiative might turn into both a mannequin to comply with or a cautionary story, relying on how profitable JD.com’s try proves.
Also learn: A Chinese surgical robotic constructed for distant operations obtained EU approval, giving Toumai Remote entry to a regulated medical market the place security, connectivity, and scientific safeguards face shut scrutiny.
