Can ChatGPT be your therapist?
AI chatbots can reduce anxiety and depression, according to recent research. As chatbot therapy goes mainstream, can it replace a real therapeutic relationship?
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Qatar Tribune
17 hours ago
- Qatar Tribune
China's AI expansion adds to existing employment crisis
Agencies New York China's rapid AI adoption is reshaping its labour market, with analysts debating whether it will alleviate workforce shortages or deepen deflationary pressures. Morgan Stanley's latest report warns that AI-driven automation could exacerbate China's employment challenges, particularly given its high youth unemployment rate (over 15 percent) and prolonged deflationary trends. AI's ability to replace junior-level cognitive tasks may encourage companies to invest more in technology while reducing hiring, potentially leading to slower wage growth and economic stagnation. However, Ding Shuang, chief Greater China economist at Standard Chartered, argues that AI is not the primary driver of deflation. Instead, overcapacity in key industries and weak domestic demand are the main culprits. Despite concerns, AI's economic potential remains significant. The International Monetary Fund estimates that 40 percent of jobs in emerging markets are exposed to AI, with 16 percent complemented by automation and 24 percent fully replaced. To mitigate disruptions, policymakers should enhance social protections, expand AI-focused education, and encourage job creation in sectors less susceptible to automation. Ultimately, AI's impact on China's economy will depend on balanced policy measures and strategic workforce adaptation. China's rapid AI adoption is reshaping its labour market, sparking debate over whether it will alleviate workforce shortages or deepen deflationary pressures. While AI-driven automation offers long-term productivity gains, concerns persist about its immediate impact on employment and wage growth. China has been battling prolonged deflationary risks, with its producer price index contracting for 30 consecutive months, including a 2.7 percent drop in April. The employment market remains sluggish, with urban youth unemployment exceeding 15 percent. AI could generate a labour equivalent value of 6.7 trillion yuan ($931 billion)—approximately 5 percent of China's nominal GDP. To mitigate disruptions, policymakers should enhance social protections, expand AI-focused education, and encourage job creation in sectors less susceptible to automation. While AI may eliminate some roles, it also fosters new employment opportunities. The future of China's labour market will depend on balanced policy measures and strategic workforce adaptation. Despite optimism surrounding AI's potential, its widespread adoption may not significantly enhance China's productivity. While automation can streamline operations, it does not directly address deeper structural issues such as declining birth rates, shrinking workforce, and weak domestic demand. In 2023, China recorded only 9 million births, the lowest since 1949, with the population dropping for the second consecutive year to 1.4 billion, a decline of over 2 million. AI's displacement of junior-level cognitive jobs could worsen China's employment crisis, particularly as urban youth unemployment exceeds 15 percent. While AI may create new roles, the transition requires extensive reskilling, which China's current education system struggles to accommodate. Additionally, over investment in AI could exacerbate economic stagnation, as companies prioritize automation over workforce expansion. To mitigate these risks, policymakers must strengthen social protections, invest in AI-focused education, and promote job creation in sectors less vulnerable to automation. Without balanced policy measures, AI's rapid integration may deepen economic instability rather than drive sustainable growth. China's deflationary pressures stem from multiple economic factors, with AI playing only a minor role in the broader downturn. The country's weak property market and sluggish domestic demand have been the primary drivers of deflation, overshadowing the impact of AI adoption. Despite concerns about automation displacing workers, recent data suggests that AI's effect on employment remains limited. A UBS survey conducted between March 18 and April 17 among 404 senior executives in China revealed that 73 percent of respondents had integrated AI technologies into their businesses, primarily to enhance efficiency and improve product quality. While 15 percent reported workforce reductions, 22 percent stated they had created new positions due to AI adoption. Additionally, 46 percent of executives noted salary increases linked to productivity gains, whereas 18 percent reported wage cuts for certain employees. These findings indicate that AI has not yet caused widespread disruption in China's labour market or household income. However, as AI adoption accelerates, policymakers must ensure balanced economic strategies that address employment shifts, wage stability, and broader economic challenges. The future of AI's role in China's economy will depend on how businesses and regulators navigate technological advancements alongside existing structural issues.
Al Jazeera
21 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
US extends TikTok sale deadline by another 90 days
United States President Donald Trump has signed an executive order extending the deadline for China-based ByteDance to divest its US assets of the short-form video app TikTok by another 90 days, he says, despite a law that mandated a sale or shutdown. 'I've just signed the Executive Order extending the Deadline for the TikTok closing for 90 days (September 17, 2025),' the president said in a post on Thursday on his social media platform, Truth Social. The ban would have otherwise kicked in on Thursday. 'We are grateful for President Trump's leadership and support in ensuring that TikTok continues to be available for more than 170 million American users and 7.5 million US businesses that rely on the platform as we continue to work with Vice President [JD] Vance's Office,' TikTok said in a statement. Vance's office has been involved in negotiations with the platform. Passed in April 2024 and known as the the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, the law required TikTok to stop operating in the US by January 19 unless ByteDance had completed divesting itself of the app's US assets or demonstrated significant progress towards a sale. The law was challenged in the Supreme Court in January, but the nation's highest court upheld the ban. This is the third time the president has extended the deadline. Trump began his second term as president on January 20 and opted not to enforce the law. He first extended the deadline to early April and then again last month to June 19. Democratic senators argued that Trump has no legal authority to extend the deadline and suggested a deal under consideration would not meet legal requirements. The White House on Tuesday said the app will be 'mandated a sale or shutdown absent significant progress'. 'President Trump does not want TikTok to go dark,' White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Tuesday. She added that the administration will spend the next three months making sure the sale closes so Americans can keep using TikTok with the assurance that their data is safe and secure. In March, Trump said he would be willing to reduce tariffs on China to get a deal done with ByteDance to sell the app. A deal had been in the works this spring that would spin off TikTok's US operations into a new US-based firm majority-owned and operated by US investors. That was put on hold after China said it would not approve that deal because of the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration. TikTok has a wide US user base, especially among younger audiences. According to a survey from Pew Research conducted in December, a third of all US adults use TikTok, and among the under 30 demographic, it is higher at 59 percent while 67 percent of teens use the platform.
Al Jazeera
a day ago
- Al Jazeera
Real Madrid star Mbappe hospitalised at FIFA Club World Cup
Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe has been hospitalised with an acute case of gastroenteritis, the Spanish club says. World Cup winner Mbappe missed Madrid's opening game at the FIFA Club World Cup against Saudi Arabian team Al Hilal in Miami on Wednesday because of a fever. Coach Xabi Alonso said he hoped the France international would be available for the team's next game against Pachuca on Sunday. Mbappe's hospitalisation, however, casts doubt over what part he might be able to play in the monthlong tournament in the United States. 'Our player Kylian Mbappe is suffering from an acute case of gastroenteritis and has been admitted to hospital in order to undergo a series of tests and follow the appropriate course of treatment,' Madrid said in a statement on Thursday. Gastroenteritis is also known as the stomach flu, and symptoms can include vomiting and diarrhoea. Real drew the match with Al Hilal 1-1 and missed the chance to seal all three points when Federico Valverde missed a late penalty. Mbappe had trained with the Madrid squad in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, on Sunday but was absent from the final session on Tuesday before the match. The forward's last match was France's international against Germany in the third-place playoff at the UEFA Nations League. France were eliminated by Spain in a 5-4 thriller in the semifinals, where Mbappe netted his side's opening goal.
