{"id":38266,"date":"2026-01-02T05:17:23","date_gmt":"2026-01-02T05:17:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/metaverseplanet.net\/blog\/?post_type=web-story&#038;p=38266"},"modified":"2026-01-06T12:52:26","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T12:52:26","slug":"the-joke-is-over-inside-chinas-dark-factories","status":"publish","type":"web-story","link":"https:\/\/metaverseplanet.net\/blog\/web-stories\/the-joke-is-over-inside-chinas-dark-factories\/","title":{"rendered":"The Joke Is Over: Inside China&#8217;s &#8220;Dark Factories&#8221;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><html amp=\"\" lang=\"en\"><head><meta charSet=\"utf-8\"\/><meta name=\"viewport\" content=\"width=device-width,minimum-scale=1,initial-scale=1\"\/><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.ampproject.org\/v0.js\"><\/script><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.ampproject.org\/v0\/amp-story-1.0.js\" custom-element=\"amp-story\"><\/script><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.ampproject.org\/v0\/amp-video-0.1.js\" custom-element=\"amp-video\"><\/script><link href=\"https:\/\/metaverseplanet.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/You-Are-Too-Expensive-Goodbye-Humans-1.mp4\" rel=\"preload\" as=\"video\"\/>\n<style amp-boilerplate=\"\">body{-webkit-animation:-amp-start 8s steps(1,end) 0s 1 normal both;-moz-animation:-amp-start 8s steps(1,end) 0s 1 normal both;-ms-animation:-amp-start 8s steps(1,end) 0s 1 normal both;animation:-amp-start 8s steps(1,end) 0s 1 normal both}@-webkit-keyframes -amp-start{from{visibility:hidden}to{visibility:visible}}@-moz-keyframes -amp-start{from{visibility:hidden}to{visibility:visible}}@-ms-keyframes -amp-start{from{visibility:hidden}to{visibility:visible}}@-o-keyframes -amp-start{from{visibility:hidden}to{visibility:visible}}@keyframes -amp-start{from{visibility:hidden}to{visibility:visible}}<\/style>\n<p><noscript><\/p>\n<style amp-boilerplate=\"\">body{-webkit-animation:none;-moz-animation:none;-ms-animation:none;animation:none}<\/style>\n<p><\/noscript><\/p>\n<style amp-custom=\"\">\n              h1, h2, h3 { font-weight: normal; }<\/p>\n<p>              amp-story-page {\n                background-color: #131516;\n              }<\/p>\n<p>              amp-story-grid-layer {\n                overflow: visible;\n              }<\/p>\n<p>              @media (max-aspect-ratio: 9 \/ 16)  {\n                @media (min-aspect-ratio: 320 \/ 678) {\n                  amp-story-grid-layer.grid-layer {\n                    margin-top: calc((100% \/ 0.5625 - 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We always joked that robots would take over, but looking at them work 24\/7 without food, sleep, or a salary... the joke isn&#x27;t funny anymore.\" alt=\"Honestly, the footage I watched from that Chinese factory kept me up at night. We always joked that robots would take over, but looking at them work 24\/7 without food, sleep, or a salary... the joke isn&#x27;t funny anymore.\" id=\"el-2530197c-4562-4d14-9e94-4a710406d66f-media\"><source type=\"video\/mp4\" src=\"https:\/\/metaverseplanet.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/You-Are-Too-Expensive-Goodbye-Humans-1.mp4\"\/><\/amp-video><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/amp-story-grid-layer><amp-story-grid-layer template=\"vertical\" aspect-ratio=\"412:618\" class=\"grid-layer\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"page-fullbleed-area\">\n<div class=\"page-safe-area\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/amp-story-grid-layer><amp-story-page-outlink layout=\"nodisplay\" cta-image=\"https:\/\/metaverseplanet.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/The-Rise-of-Super-Strength-Robotic-Gloves-1.png\"><a href=\"https:\/\/metaverseplanet.net\/blog\/the-era-of-dark-factories\/\" rel=\"\">Learn more<\/a><\/amp-story-page-outlink><\/amp-story-page><\/amp-story><\/body><\/html><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Honestly, the footage I watched from that Chinese factory kept me up at night. 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