AI's Role in Business Growth: Solopreneurs Thrive in China

China's artificial intelligence boom is giving rise to a new cohort of solopreneurs, who are turning their business dreams into reality with the help of technology. This trend offers a glimmer of hope in an otherwise bleak job market, particularly as youth unemployment reaches record levels.

There is no government data tracking the number of solopreneurs, but the proliferation of affordable AI models indicates their numbers are rising. Recent data from the US Census Bureau showed that the US had about 30 million solopreneurs, contributing 6.8 percent of total economic activity.

In China, local governments are actively working to attract one-person companies, or OPCs. For instance, the city of Suzhou in Jiangsu province launched an OPC service alliance in November to support solopreneurs.

Similarly, Shanghai designated a building in Jingan district for one-person businesses, providing them with office space and computing resources. With opportunities offered by traditional employers no longer sufficient for millions of university graduates, one-person businesses are becoming an attractive option for this demographic.

Karen Dai, a 38-year-old entrepreneur in Shanghai, leads SoloNest, a networking group for solopreneurs, which has organized over 100 events attended by more than 2,000 individuals since its founding last year.