即便在這些AI繁榮城市內部，經濟紅利也難以惠及普通家庭。合肥電子產品產出飆升93%，但零售銷售幾乎未見增長；自動化和臨時工的大量使用使得消費經濟並未因製造業的繁榮而改善。AI產業在中國僅僱用約一千萬人，佔整體工業勞動力的9%，牛津經濟研究院經濟學家指出，AI熱潮的收益「不成比例地流向了資本而非勞動者」。
這種區域分化預計將進一步加深。長鑫存儲（CXMT）完成中國歷史上第二大IPO，為持股約40%的安徽省帶來1920億美元的財富效應，而湖南、山西等中西部省份則因傳統產業放緩和礦難等因素增長乏力。野村證券經濟學家認為，北京可能需要在下半年加大政策力度，但中共中央政治局會議的表態仍偏審慎，未宣布新的刺激措施。
China's AI boom is creating a stark economic divide between a handful of high-tech hubs and the rest of the country. Cities like Hefei, Shenzhen, Wuhan, and Suzhou recorded GDP growth well above the national average in the first half of 2026, driven by surging demand for memory chips, optical modules, and other AI-related hardware. In contrast, cities dependent on legacy industries—most notably Changchun, where the auto sector accounts for roughly 60% of industrial output—saw growth plummet amid a global oil shock and falling domestic car sales.
Despite the impressive headline growth in AI boomtowns, the benefits have largely failed to reach ordinary households. Retail sales in several of these cities are shrinking, as factory automation and heavy reliance on temporary labor limit the trickle-down effect. The AI sector employs only about 10 million workers in China, and economists at Oxford Economics note that gains from the boom have accrued disproportionately to capital owners rather than workers—a pattern echoed across Asia. (Key numbers: 93, 9)
The regional divide is expected to widen further as eastern and well-connected central provinces leverage industrial clusters, resilient exports, and superior access to talent and capital. CXMT's blockbuster IPO delivered a $192 billion windfall to Anhui province, while western and northeastern regions face fiscal constraints and sluggish industrial upgrading. Nomura economists argue that Beijing will likely need to step up policy support in the second half, though the Politburo's latest signals suggest a measured rather than aggressive stimulus approach. (Key numbers: 40, 1920)