Gasgoo Munich- On, September 10, the Automotive Talent Professional Committee under the China Talent Research Society marked its 20th anniversary. At the event, Liu Songbo, vice dean of the School of Labor and Human Resources at Renmin University of China, offered a reality check on the industry's anxiety over AI displacement, sharing insights on how the AI wave is reshaping automotive talent.
Liu urged the industry to take AI's disruption seriously — but warned against panic. Citing Gallup survey data, he argued that many layoffs publicly attributed to AI aren't actually direct cuts caused by the technology. Instead, companies are often using AI as a cover to push through broader operational optimizations and business adjustments.
Image Source: Automotive Talent Professional Committee of the China Talent Research Society
Liu called for a realistic view of AI's limits. While the technology excels at processing standardized, routine information, it struggles with the value judgments, timing calls, and ethical boundaries required in complex scenarios. It also misses the subtle emotions and subtext in human collaboration. Those on-the-spot judgments and decision-making responsibilities remain the core of management, HR, and many hybrid roles across the auto sector.
Within the automotive industry, tasks that rely heavily on on-the-ground decision-making and human interaction — such as R&D collaboration, customer operations, localization management, and cross-cultural business communication — are unlikely to be fully taken over by AI. Only highly repetitive, standardized administrative work faces significant substitution pressure.
AI will reshape job content, but it won't simply eliminate roles. Liu believes the approach to talent development in the auto industry must shift accordingly. The competition for talent is no longer about mastering tools; it now hinges on comprehensive capabilities — like complex decision-making, cross-organizational communication, and risk balancing — that AI cannot replicate.
