China balances AI expansion with concerns over job displacement, warning companies against eliminating roles because of the technology.

Beijing's vice premier was described as "shaken" after China's largest employers warned him last year of AI's potential impact on their workforces, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The government has warned companies not to eliminate roles because of AI, and a court recently ruled that firms cannot lay off employees on AI grounds.

Analysts expect China's strained labor market to worsen in coming months, and the government is concerned about public anxiety over job losses to AI.