Shenzhen robotaxi expansion squeezes gig drivers

Shenzhen has dramatically expanded its driverless vehicle fleet, with the Financial Times reporting that the rollout is now large enough to meaningfully displace the city's ride-hail and delivery workforce. The story crystallises a pattern visible across multiple sectors this week: automation delivering efficiency gains at a direct cost to lower-wage workers, with no safety net in sight. China's robotaxi push is further advanced than most Western markets and could serve as the template — or the warning — for how autonomous vehicle deployment plays out globally. Shenzhen is home to both BYD and several of China's leading autonomous-driving startups.