How AI Is Upending the Freelancing Industry
Artificial intelligence has been disrupting various industries across the world for years now, and the freelancing industry is no exception. A chatbot named ChatGPT has been developed to perform various tasks that would otherwise be outsourced to freelancers via Upwork, Fiverr, and other similar platforms. This free tool has not only made operations easier for businesses, but also helped them cut costs as it can produce content quickly and efficiently.
Melissa Shea, co-founder of Fashion Mingle, used to outsource most of her technical and creative tasks to freelancers who charged an average of $22 per hour. However, after discovering ChatGPT, she has replaced three of her content writers, and now relies heavily on the AI tool to automate swaths of her operations. ChatGPT can write articles, compile research, design graphics, code, and even decrypt financial documents. And Shea is not alone - freelancers are also relying on ChatGPT to do some, if not all, of their work for them.
The rise of ChatGPT, however, has created a bitter side effect. Clients on job marketplaces like Upwork and Fiverr are receiving nearly identical project proposals written by ChatGPT. This has caused transactional disputes and mistrust in the freelancing community as some freelancers are using AI tools without disclosing it. Clients have started including disclaimers in their job posts, stating that they will not accept AI-generated work. Some freelancers are not worried, though, as most of their clients use their work for SEO on their website, and they are well aware that AI-generated blogs will not help their ranking on Google.
While some freelancers are embracing AI as a tool to help them ideate and generate stronger ideas, others are worried that AI might eventually make them obsolete. As more and more businesses continue to use AI tools to replace freelancers, the future of the freelancing industry remains uncertain.
At the end of the day, AI cannot replace the meaningful connections and relationships between freelancers, clients, and independent talent that are the backbone of the freelancing industry. AI may make certain tasks more efficient, but it is up to businesses and freelancers alike to determine how much they want to rely on these tools and how they can maintain trust and authenticity in the industry.
