AI development and employment skill structure: A case study of China

Technological progress, represented by artificial intelligence, has a dual impact on employment structure. In order to explore the impact of artificial intelligence development on employment skill structure, this paper, based on the panel data of 30 provinces and cities in China from 2003 to 2017, used the mediating effect regression model and the threshold regression model to conduct empirical tests. The results show that the development of artificial intelligence will significantly affect the structure of employment skills, and regional innovation has a significant mediating effect. From the threshold characteristics, there is a threshold effect of regional innovation. With the improvement of innovation environment, industrial upgrading and technological progress, the influence of artificial intelligence on middle-skill employment is gradually weakened. Under the influence of innovation environment and technological progress, the high-skilled employment shows a U-shaped change.