• China leads the world in industrial robot usage, with significant government investment in automation.
• Small manufacturers are adopting a hybrid approach to automation due to financial limitations.
• The shift towards automation raises concerns about job losses and the need for human oversight.
• A digital divide exists between larger corporations and smaller factories regarding technology investment.
• Manufacturers strive for a balance between technological advancement and social responsibility.

In eastern China, smaller manufacturers are embracing automation, seen in workshops where robotic arms assist in assembling autonomous vehicles. This incremental automation is crucial in maintaining China's position as the world's largest industrial robot market, bolstered by significant government investments in robotics and artificial intelligence. However, the shift toward automation has raised concerns regarding potential job losses and the difficulties smaller companies face in transitioning, prompting many to adopt a hybrid approach, blending human labor with advanced technology, according to Indiatimes, Channel News Asia, and The Jakarta Post.

Manager Liu Jingyao of the Neolix factory highlights that even with automation advancements, many decisions still require human judgement, emphasizing the importance of human skills in highly automated environments. The factory, located 300 kilometers north of Shanghai, employs robots alongside human workers to optimize vehicle assembly processes, with automation primarily intended to assist rather than replace humans, as Liu noted, citing that "Automation... primarily serve(s) to assist humans, reducing labour intensity rather than replacing them," according to Indiatimes, Channel News Asia, and The Jakarta Post.

However, a significant digital divide exists, as larger companies can invest heavily in modernization while smaller factories struggle. For Zhu Yefeng's Far East Precision Printing Company, automation remains an elusive goal. Despite recent improvements in workflow management aided by new technologies like QR code tracking, financial constraints hinder further advancements. Zhu reflected on past operational chaos, stating, "Things were, to put it bluntly, a complete mess," illustrating the challenges faced by smaller entities in adopting comprehensive automation, according to Indiatimes, Channel News Asia, and The Jakarta Post.

The potential for unemployment due to automation has raised concerns among experts. Jacob Gunter from the Berlin-based Mercator Institute for China Studies indicated that while companies may reduce their workforce through automation, the government will face pressures to maintain high employment levels amid growing automation initiatives. He stated that “companies will be quite happy to decrease their headcount... but the government will not like that and will be under a lot of pressure to navigate this,” illustrating the ongoing tension between technological advancement and job security, according to Indiatimes, Channel News Asia, and The Jakarta Post.

Experts like Ni Jun from Jiaotong University stress the importance of finding a balance between technological feasibility, social responsibility, and business needs as manufacturers move forward in this new landscape. Zhou Yuxiang, CEO of Black Lake Technologies, stated that factories will always rely on a hybrid model, arguing that the goal should not be the ambitious concept of fully automated "dark factories" but rather optimizing production to meet market demands effectively, according to Indiatimes, Channel News Asia, and The Jakarta Post.