The Colleague Skill project in China trains AI to replicate employee skills before layoffs, sparking backlash and the rise of counter-projects.
In China, the Colleague Skill project has gained significant traction as it trains AI agents to replicate employees' skills and knowledge just before layoffs occur.
On the social platform RedNote (Xiaohongshu), the open-source initiative is a hot topic, attracting over 8,000 stars on GitHub. The developers promote it as a means to facilitate a more effective farewell to colleagues.
The tool enables the transfer of an employee's expertise, communication style, and information management skills to an AI assistant. To train the AI, users need to upload various forms of content, including work chat messages, documents, emails, and audio files.
Colleague Skill can perform tasks such as coding based on specifications, answering inquiries, and even shifting accountability in discussions.
This initiative has surfaced amid a trend where employers are asking staff to document their work processes and decision-making rationale prior to layoffs, termed "process optimization". However, this data is often repurposed to enhance AI capabilities.
The response from users has been largely negative, with many criticizing the practice as "distilling the worker". In reaction, the Anti Distillation Skill project has emerged, designed to help individuals safeguard their knowledge from being replicated.
A blogger recently highlighted the rise of Colleague Skill on April 3, mentioning her development of the "Anti Distillation Skill" project. She noted, "Everyone is just trying to make a living, and no one wants to be turned into a skill and lose their job" while hoping to help others survive the ongoing AI transition. pic.twitter.com/53OJZLSc7A
— 李老师不是你老师 (@whyyoutouzhele) April 3, 2026
This tool also allows users to alter archived documents to diminish their utility for AI.
Some users are even creating repositories aimed at digitizing past relationships, employers, or themselves for business communications.
Concerns about AI's rapid advancement and its potential impact on employment are also prevalent among U.S. citizens.
