He Quit Baidu. But First He Had to Build an AI Version of Himself
Before leaving Baidu, algorithm engineer Wei Ying created an AI version of himself to facilitate a smooth transition. This trend, known as 'zhengliu' or 'distillation,' is becoming common in Chinese companies as employees are encouraged to document their workflows for AI systems. While some see it as a way to preserve knowledge, others worry about being replaced by their own digital counterparts.
- ▪Wei Ying built an AI version of himself before resigning from Baidu.
- ▪The AI could replicate 90% of his work and respond to colleagues' queries.
- ▪This practice is referred to as 'zhengliu' in China, meaning 'distillation.'
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NEWSHe Quit Baidu. But First He Had to Build an AI Version of Himself.As Chinese firms expand internal AI systems, some employees are being asked to build digital versions of themselves before leaving their jobs.By He QitongMay 28, 2026#technologyBefore resigning from Chinese tech giant Baidu this spring, algorithm engineer Wei Ying spent a week on a new kind of handover: building an AI version of himself.Coworkers fed his code, documents, research, and chat histories into an internal AI system trained to mimic how he solved problems and responded to colleagues. Within a week, it could replace “90% of his work,” Wei said, using a pseudonym for privacy reasons.After he left, coworkers could still message “Wei” with technical questions, assign tasks, send voice notes, or upload pictures.
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