For 32-year-old Tracy Li, marriage and childbearing have never been essential life choices. Instead of following the traditional path of starting a family like most of her elders, the human resources manager at a Beijing-based company prefers the solitary life.
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She is not alone. A survey of around 3,000 urban residents in October 2021 found that nearly 44 per cent of unmarried women aged 18 to 26 either had no intention of getting married or were unsure if it would happen.
“The cost of giving birth is apparently too high for women, which is leading to a low birth rate in contemporary society,” Li said, referring to child care and educational spending, as well as the time and energy required to raise a family.
Thanks to technological advancements, her determination and confidence to embrace the challenges of staying single have grown stronger. As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to progress, Li believes it will eventually fulfil needs like emotional companionship and elderly care – traditionally provided in Chinese society through marriage and children.
“AI can already provide emotional companionship. In another 20 to 30 years, by the time my generation is old, I believe that household robots for taking care of the elderly will be widely available and affordable,” she said. “I am now hoping that the development of caregiving robots will accelerate.”
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AI is widely blamed for worsening China’s population decline by reducing incentives for marriage and childbearing, as it replaces human roles such as providing emotional companionship and taking care of the elderly.
However, one leading expert argues that this technological shift may not be bad news at all.