Artificial intelligence serves as a pivotal engine driving the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, transforming people’s production and lifestyle at an unprecedented pace, including profound impacts on employment. The State Council issued the “Opinions on Deepening the Implementation of the ‘AI+’ Initiative” (State Council Document No. 11 [2025]), identifying “AI+” for improving people’s well-being as one of six key initiatives and proposing “creating more intelligent working methods.” The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee emphasized the need to refine employment impact assessments and monitoring early warnings, comprehensively addressing the effects of external environmental changes and new technological developments on employment. Similar to past technological advancements, AI presents both opportunities and challenges for employment, with the key lying in actively understanding, adaptively responding, and scientifically mitigating its impacts to achieve high-quality, full employment amid the pursuit of high-quality economic and social development. Taking Guangdong Province as a case study, this paper analyzes AI’s significant influence on employment, explores practical models and innovative pathways for leveraging AI to empower high-quality, full employment based on Guangdong’s realities, providing theoretical support and practical guidance for addressing AI-related employment challenges and optimizing employment policies.