A trainer supervises the training of a humanoid robot in a domestic tidy-up scenario at the Qingdao Humanoid Robot Data and Training Center in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, March 23, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng)

SHANGHAI, May 3 (Xinhua) -- In a film and TV studio in Shanghai's Lingang New Area, Lu Guozong sits alone before a computer screen, with no heavy cameras, lighting crews, or bustling set assistants in sight.

Yet, with a few keystrokes on an AI workflow platform, he turns a spark of imagination into a high-definition cinematic video with fluid camera movements. "AI is a productivity tool, but more importantly, it is a partner working alongside me," Lu said.

Lu is part of a growing wave of "AI content creators," one of the many new professions emerging as artificial intelligence reshapes China's labor market. From humanoid robot "teachers" to "translators" bridging human language and machine code, these roles are redefining what it means to work in the world's second-largest economy.

"TRANSLATORS" OF INTELLIGENCE

In 2020, China officially recognized "artificial intelligence trainer" as a new profession in its occupational classification code. These specialists act as "translators," using data labeling, algorithm optimization, and system maintenance to help AI better understand human intent.

In Shanghai, the role has been classified as a "critically undersupplied high-skill profession." Data shows that in 2025 alone, Shanghai saw 16,300 participants in AI trainer evaluations, with nearly 11,000 receiving vocational certificates.

Hu Shengxiang, a researcher at a Shanghai-based tech company, described himself as a "guardian of the last mile" for AI product implementation. His team has shifted focus from being "model-centric" to "data-centric."

A trainer supervises the training of a humanoid robot in a catering delivery scenario at the Qingdao Humanoid Robot Data and Training Center in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, March 23, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng)

"Pure algorithm tuning has hit a ceiling," Hu said. "High-quality data and refined feedback mechanisms are the keys to victory. My goal is to standardize human-machine collaboration to improve our research input."

Li Na, general manager of the Shanghai company, added that the demand for such roles in Shanghai is growing at over 30 percent annually. Supported by government subsidies, the "industry-training integration" model is strengthening ties between enterprises, research institutes and universities.

COLLABORATION BRIDGING DATA, CREATIVITY

At the data collection center in AgiBot, an intelligent robot manufacturer in Shanghai, rows of humanoid robots perform tasks under the watchful eyes of young workers wearing VR goggles and holding remote joysticks.

These are "humanoid robot data collectors," the "teachers" who manually guide robots through thousands of repetitions of pouring water or grasping objects under varying lights and weights.

"I took the job because the humanoid robot market is booming," said Liu Genlin, a 22-year-old collector. "I wanted to see exactly how these machines learn and where they are headed."

A trainer supervises the training of a humanoid robot in an automotive manufacturing scenario at a data training center for embodied AI in Pingyin County, east China's Shandong Province, April 21, 2026. (Xinhua/Guo Xulei)

Peng Zhihui, co-founder and CTO of AgiBot, noted that the center has collected over a million high-quality data points covering home, catering, industrial and office scenarios.

"Technological progress is not about replacing humans, but about opening up more creative spaces," said an intern at AgiBot.

For filmmakers like Chen Xiaoyu, AI is a tool for "returning to the essence of creation." By delegating repetitive, mechanical tasks to AI, Chen can focus on narrative, aesthetics and emotion.

"AI can generate a frame quickly, but whether that frame expresses something meaningful depends on daily observation, thinking and reading," Chen said. "AI is the executor, not the creator. It allows directors to regain creative autonomy, no longer constrained by limited budgets or on-site conditions."

Over the 2021-2025 period, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security has released 72 new professions, more than 20 of which are AI-related.

Experts estimate that each new profession can drive employment for 300,000 to 500,000 people in the short term.