Although there is no government data tracking this group, the proliferation of affordable AI models suggests that the number of AI-powered solopreneurs in China is increasing. According to recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau, there are approximately 30 million independent contractors in the United States, accounting for 6.8 percent of all economic activity.
In China, local governments are actively seeking to attract private enterprises (OPCs) as a way to harness the potential of AI.
In November, Suzhou, a city in eastern China's Jiangsu province, launched the OPC Service Alliance to support sole proprietorships. Also last month, the city of Shanghai designated a building in Jing'an District for private businesses, providing office space and computing resources.

Karen Dai, a 38-year-old entrepreneur from Shanghai, leads SoloNest, a growing networking group for solopreneurs. Since its founding last year, SoloNest has organized more than 100 events, attended by more than 2,000 people, she said.
