JD.com Founder Says Robots Will Fully Replace 700,000 Delivery Workers, Plans Retraining

The founder of JD.com, one of China's largest e-commerce companies, has publicly stated that all of the company's delivery workers could eventually be replaced by robots.
His remarks have drawn significant attention, as other major tech entrepreneurs have been hesitant to discuss the impact of the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics on the labor market.
According to reports from Hong Kong's Sing Tao Daily and China's Guancha.cn on Tuesday (June 23), Liu Qiangdong, founder and chairman of the board at JD.com, said at the 2026 APEC China CEO Forum held in Beijing on the 21st, "In the future, robots will handle all delivery tasks, and delivery workers will no longer be needed."
Predicting that 700,000 blue-collar workers, including delivery personnel, will eventually be fully replaced by robots, he unveiled a plan for the career transition of the company's blue-collar workforce for the first time that day.
"I do not want our 700,000 brothers (delivery workers) to lose their livelihoods," he explained. "JD.com has already signed contracts with over 120 schools across the country and plans to provide technical training for our employees."
Under JD.com's new plan, delivery personnel will be retrained to take on roles in the maintenance and management of robots.
"When a machine breaks down, a human must eventually handle it," he added. "JD.com will move our brothers away from physical labor that requires them to travel back and forth in wind and rain, and transition them into technical roles."
Like Coupang, JD.com operates its own logistics and delivery network.
Last year, the company also entered the food delivery business, signing formal labor contracts with 150,000 full-time riders.
Amid growing concerns that humans will be replaced by AI, JD.com's plan has received positive feedback as an attempt by a major corporation to absorb the shocks of a changing era through education rather than layoffs.
However, questions remain regarding the feasibility of retraining 700,000 people.
Chinese media outlets pointed out that there is no precedent in the industry for such a large-scale, proactive workforce redeployment.
Furthermore, this plan by JD.com is expected to align with the structural transformation of China's overall labor market.
According to the China Center for New Employment Forms, the number of gig workers in China has increased significantly from 200 million five years ago to an estimated 320 million this year.
In a country where high youth unemployment is a social issue, accelerating layoffs for gig workers, including delivery drivers, could lead to even greater economic damage.
(Photo: Getty Images)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.