Chinese firm hit for using ex-employee’s data to create ‘AI human’ to continue work

South China Morning Post · 🇭🇰 public Hong Kong · Apr 12, 2026 · 152 words · By Yating Yang

headphones Listen to the eFinder podcast briefing

Generate a natural audio summary of this story

Daily briefing

What to know about Ethics of AI and Labor

Chinese firm slammed for using ex-employee’s data to create ‘AI human’ to continue working Avatar replacement worker on trial with consent of person it replaces; critics of firm say move is a ‘step towards the destruction of humanity’ A Chinese company has…

Claims checked 5

Techniques found 1

Topics 1

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center83%

Right17%

6 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Why it matters

A game company in Shandong province in northern China has attracted attention after turning a former employee into an AI-powered “digital worker” which continued performing tasks after their resignation.

Common ground

The employee, whose personal details remain unclear, previously worked as an human resources (HR) specialist.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Ethics of AI and Labor story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that A Chinese company has sparked controversy after it reportedly used a former employee’s data to create an artificial intelligence (AI) human to continue working following his resignation?
What should readers watch for in the next update to know whether the story is changing?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3349365/chinese-…

psychologyDetected Techniques

warning

Loaded Language 80% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

fact_checkFact-Check Results

5 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

help Insufficient Evidence 3

info Single Source 2

info

“A Chinese company has sparked controversy after it reportedly used a former employee’s data to create an artificial intelligence (AI) human to continue working following his resignation.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The evidence provided for this claim is limited to Wikipedia entries discussing general AI topics and Chinese AI development, but none of the provided evidence specifically confirms the claim that 'A Chinese company used a former employee's data to create an AI human to continue working after the employee resigned.' The claim appears to be based on external context not fully supported by the provided evidence snippets.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — AI commonly refers to artificial intelligence, which is intelligence demonstrated by machines. Ai, ai, or AI may also refer to:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ai

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The roots of the development of artificial intelligence in the People's Republic of China started in the late 1970s following Deng Xiaoping's economic reforms emphasizing science and technology as the…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_intelligence_indust…

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Knowledge Atlas Technology Joint Stock Co., Ltd., branded internationally as Z.ai, is a Chinese technology company specializing in artificial intelligence (AI). The company was formerly known as Zhipu…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Z.ai

help

“A game company in Shandong province in northern China has attracted attention after turning a former employee into an AI-powered “digital worker” which continued performing tasks after their resignation.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was gathered for this claim, and the provided evidence snippets do not contain information regarding a game company in Shandong province creating a 'digital worker'.

help

“The employee, whose personal details remain unclear, previously worked as an human resources (HR) specialist.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was gathered for this claim, and the provided evidence snippets do not contain information specifying the former employee's role as an HR specialist.

info

“The avatar is responsible for handling basic tasks such as answering inquiries, scheduling appointments and creating PowerPoint presentations and spreadsheets.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The evidence mentions that Microsoft PowerPoint is a presentation program and OpenAI developed LLMs, but it does not provide evidence that an AI avatar specifically handles 'answering inquiries, scheduling appointments and creating PowerPoint presentations and spreadsheets' in the context described by the claim. The evidence is too general.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — As part of the Gaza war, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have used artificial intelligence to rapidly and automatically perform much of the process of determining what to bomb. Israel has greatly expa…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AI-assisted_targeting_in_the_G…

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Microsoft PowerPoint, or simply PowerPoint, is a presentation program, developed by Microsoft. It was originally created by Robert Gaskins, Tom Rudkin, and Dennis Austin at a software company named Fo…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_PowerPoint

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — OpenAI is an American artificial intelligence (AI) research organization consisting of a for-profit public benefit corporation (PBC) and a nonprofit foundation, headquartered in San Francisco. OpenAI …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenAI

help

“According to a video shared online by a company staff member identified as Xiaoyu, the digital employee introduces itself in a chat window.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was gathered for this claim, and the provided evidence snippets do not contain any information regarding a video shared by a staff member named Xiaoyu or the digital employee introducing itself in a chat window.

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.