A new study shows that since the release of ChatGPT, generative artificial intelligence has had a significant impact on the freelance market, especially in jobs that are susceptible to automation.
The study, reported by the Harvard Business Review, analyzed 1.4 million job listings posted on a major freelance platform from July 2021 to July 2023. It found that the demand for "automation-prone" jobs decreased by an average of 21% after the launch of ChatGPT, compared to labor-intensive jobs.
Among various freelance jobs, writing positions have been hit the hardest, with a 30.37% decrease in job postings. The demand for software and web development roles also dropped by 20.62%, while engineering positions saw a reduction of 10.42%.
This impact is not limited to writing and programming fields. With the introduction of AI image generation tools like Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, and DALL-E, the number of job postings for graphic designers and 3D modelers has decreased by 17.01% compared to labor-intensive jobs, and there are currently no signs of recovery in the job market.
Researchers point out that these effects are significantly greater than previous waves of automation. For example, in French industry, when robot usage increased by 20%, related employment only fell by 3.2%. Unlike past automation technologies, generative AI has the ability to continuously improve, potentially affecting almost every industry.
The contraction of the job market has led to increased competition. Since the launch of ChatGPT, the average number of applicants per automated job posting has increased by 8.57%. At the same time, the required skills have risen by 2.18%, and client budgets have increased by 5.71%. Industries that frequently seek to use AI tools, such as writing and engineering, have suffered particularly severe losses. In contrast, in manual activities like audio and video editing, despite low interest in AI tools, the impact has been minimal.
Although some traditional freelance jobs seem to be declining, AI has also created conditions for new opportunities. Since the release of ChatGPT, the number of job postings requiring ChatGPT skills has increased by an average of 0.68 per week. The study found that there are 903 positions that require ChatGPT-related skills, of which 88% are in automation activities, and 82% involve software and web development. Additionally, the research noted that women are significantly less likely than men to use ChatGPT in their work.
Researchers suggest that companies should focus on training low-skilled workers in the application of AI tools, as this group shows the greatest potential for productivity improvement. They point out that AI is shifting the focus of work from predictable tasks to activities that require human judgment and decision-making.
Key Takeaways:
🌐 The study shows that since the release of ChatGPT, the demand for automation-prone freelance jobs has decreased by an average of 21%.
✍️ Writing positions have been the most affected, with demand dropping over 30%.
🤖 New opportunities are also emerging, with job postings requiring ChatGPT skills continuing to grow, increasing by about 0.68 per week.