On 26 August 2026, D’Andrea & Partners Legal Counsel and PHC Advisory, jointly with the Italian Chamber of Commerce in China (CCIC), hosted an exclusive CEO breakfast seminar in Guangzhou. Entitled “Navigating the AI+HR Wave: Legal Pitfalls and Compliance Overhaul Triggered by ‘AI Replacement’ Debates“, the event brought together professionals from multinational corporations, legal practices, and HR functions for an in-depth exchange on how artificial intelligence is reshaping workforce management.
After a welcoming address by Ms. Romina Di Martino, South China Manager of CCIC, two keynote speakers took the floor:
Matteo Zhi, Global Equity Partner of D’Andrea & Partners Legal Counsel, offered a legal perspective grounded in Chinese labour law. He stressed that AI-driven substitution does not legally justify unilateral termination, and urged companies to embed jurisdiction-specific due diligence into any HR automation initiative, ensuring that procedural fairness is never sacrificed for efficiency.
Devin Li, Deputy General Manager of PHC Advisory Tax & Accounting, showcased live use cases of AI in finance, tax reporting, and payroll processing. His central message: AI augments expertise, not replaces it. While technology accelerates routine tasks, professional judgment, ethical oversight, and human discretion remain irreplaceable.
Together, the speakers mapped out a holistic framework that balances legal compliance, fiscal agility, and operational resilience. They called for adaptive governance structures that integrate cross-functional collaboration and clear risk-allocation rules.
The lively Q&A session that followed tackled pressing concerns such as data privacy, liability in automated decisions, and cross-border regulatory consistency—demonstrating the audience’s strong appetite for actionable guidance.
D’Andrea & Partners Legal Counsel (specialising in cross-border commercial, labour, and AI/data compliance) and PHC Advisory (expert in digital finance and tax solutions) thank CCIC for its seamless coordination, our speakers for their insightful contributions, and every attendee for their engaging participation. We remain dedicated to empowering businesses with forward-looking strategies in an era of rapid technological and regulatory change.
