NetEase responds to "NetEase Interactive Entertainment replacing all outsourcing positions with AI": false, it is part of some business project adjustments and normal personnel optimization.

Recently, there have been online rumors circulating that NetEase Interactive Entertainment is attempting to use AI technology to replace outsourced development work, and plans to lay off all outsourced positions. The incident quickly drew public attention. The reporter noted that the related rumor chat logs claim that, in order to reduce costs and increase efficiency, NetEase Interactive Entertainment has successfully experimented with using AI for functions such as coding, creating art, and testing. For this reason, the chat logs state that NetEase will attempt to replace outsourced roles with AI, with an expected reduction of 30%-40% in April and 80% in May, even including all outsourced personnel. According to information on the company’s official website, NetEase was founded in 1997 by Ding Lei in Guangzhou. It was listed for trading on the NASDAQ stock exchange in the United States in 2000, and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2020. In 2001, NetEase officially established its online game business unit. As the game business group with the largest headcount, the Interactive Entertainment business group has already had more than 20 years of development, creating a series of flagship IPs and popular products such as the “Fantasy Westward Journey” series, the “A Chinese Odyssey” series, and the “Onmyoji” series, among others. Regarding the authenticity of the rumored information, on March 18, NetEase clarified the claim to reporters about “using AI to lay off all outsourced work” and said it was untrue information. NetEase stated: “At present, due to project adjustments within the company, there really is personnel turnover, but this is a normal personnel adjustment and optimization.” The reporter also learned through related channels that NetEase internally does have plans to adjust some positions involving basic skills, but it does not involve using AI to replace all outsourced roles. (Red Star News)