JD.com (JD) CEO Richard Liu Vows No Layoffs for Workers Displaced by Robots

JD.com (JD) CEO Richard Liu told employees on May 27, 2026, that the company will not fire any frontline workers replaced by automation, pledging to retrain them for robot maintenance roles instead. The e-commerce giant launched a "Nirvana Project" establishing more than 80 robot bases across China to upskill blue-collar workers into white-collar technicians. As of March 31, 2026, JD's ecosystem employed over 900,000 people, with total human resource spending reaching RMB 166.4 billion. Liu said JD will become the world's largest physical-world operator and still have the most employees in China in 20 years. The pledge stands out as many firms cut jobs amid rapid automation.