Impact of enterprise artificial intelligence development on human capital structure

Zhe Li, Huiyu Yang and Tingting Zhang

Finance Research Letters, 2025, vol. 82, issue C

Abstract: This study explores how artificial intelligence (AI) adoption influences low-skilled employment. Using data from Chinese A-share listed firms between 2012 and 2022, it reveals several key findings. First, AI adoption significantly reduces the number of low-skilled workers within firms. Second, digital transformation and human capital investment mediate this relationship, indicating that AI not only directly displaces low-skilled jobs but also indirectly influences employment by advancing digital capabilities and upskilling demands. Heterogeneity analysis further shows that these negative effects are more pronounced in non-state-owned enterprises and non-high-tech firms. The findings offer important insights for policymakers, business leaders, and workers, underscoring the need to align technological progress with workforce development in the AI era.

Keywords: Low-skill employment; Employment structure; AI transformation; Technological change (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:finlet:v:82:y:2025:i:c:s1544612325008591

DOI: 10.1016/j.frl.2025.107600

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