Phison CEO Interview: Young generations should not be restricted by academic majors; future AI blue-collar jobs will be in high demand

After discussing Japan and South Korea’s memory industries, Phison Electronics CEO Pan Jiancheng further shifted his focus to the rapidly emerging yet less publicly discussed Chinese memory market in recent years. He straightforwardly stated that China’s expansion and technological progress in the NAND Flash sector have entered a stage that cannot be ignored. By 2029, Wuhan Yangtze Memory Technologies Co. (YMTC) is expected to become the world’s largest Flash supplier.

Regarding the AI generation of young people, he believes that the saying “one generation is worse than the previous” is not valid. Society advances precisely because the younger generation is stronger than the previous one. Additionally, there is a severe global shortage of AI blue-collar talents capable of practically operating and maintaining AI systems. Equipment is designed by white-collar workers, but without good blue-collar workers, factories simply cannot run. He encourages young people without a technical background not to be deterred by their academic majors but to learn how to use and manage AI, transforming into AI blue-collar workers. This will be a career path with high demand and good income.

Wuhan Yangtze Memory Technologies (YMTC) rapidly catching up, with market share reaching double digits

Pan Jiancheng pointed out that China’s past experience in industries such as panels, solar energy, and LEDs has repeatedly proven that as long as policies and funding are in place, it can quickly develop globally competitive capacity, even putting pressure on Korean and American companies. The same is happening now in the Flash sector.

Pan Jiancheng recalled that since 2016 and 2017, when YMTC started mass production of NAND Flash, the controllers used in the first two generations of products were provided by Phison. At that time, their technology level was clearly behind, but with government support willing to subsidize technology development, the team continued to invest more manpower, funds, and resources.

He pointed out that from 2010 to 2025, the global Flash memory industry has been in a long-term state of losses, with American, Japanese, and Korean manufacturers generally slowing down, while Chinese companies accelerated their capacity expansion against the trend. As a result, output growth has been significant, with market share rising from single digits to double digits. Based on the current expansion speed, Pan Jiancheng frankly stated that by 2029 or 2030, YMTC could become one of the world’s largest Flash suppliers.

Flash is different from panels; it is not a zero-sum competition

However, Pan Jiancheng emphasized that NAND Flash differs structurally from past industries like panels and solar energy. Panel demand has a ceiling; with four TVs already hanging in most homes, a fifth is unlikely. Therefore, capacity expansion often turns into zero-sum competition. But Flash is a fundamental component used in countless applications, and demand continues to grow.

Regarding concerns about sanctions and blacklists, Pan Jiancheng bluntly stated, “If there’s no food to eat, who cares about blacklists?” Against the backdrop of a global Flash shortage, American customers actually hope supply can be scaled up as soon as possible.

He also pointed out that U.S. restrictions on Chinese memory manufacturers’ equipment do temporarily lower yield rates, but in the long run, they accelerate the maturation of China’s domestic equipment ecosystem. Equipment initially has poor yields, but over time, yields naturally improve, forcing the development of their own industry chain.

Advice for the younger generation: not only white-collar jobs but also AI blue-collar roles are needed

Reflecting on his personal experience, Pan Jiancheng recounted starting his business at age 26 and working in the electronics industry for over 25 years. He candidly admitted that he was also uncertain about the future at that time. Take one step at a time, do your best every day, and prepare for what needs to be done tomorrow—that’s enough. He also believes that the saying “one generation is worse than the previous” is not valid; society progresses because the younger generation is stronger than the previous one.

Finally, Pan Jiancheng highlighted the talent dilemma in the AI era. He pointed out that there is a serious global shortage of AI blue-collar talents capable of practically operating and maintaining AI systems. Equipment is designed by white-collar workers, but without good blue-collar workers, factories cannot operate. He encourages young people without a technical background not to be deterred by their academic majors but to learn how to use and manage AI, transforming into AI blue-collar workers. This will be a career path with high demand and good income.

This article Phison CEO interview: Young generations should not be limited by their majors; future AI blue-collar workers will be in high demand was first published in Chain News ABMedia.