Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a concept that has grown more popular over the years and is set to change the future of work as we know it. But what does that mean for freelancers? And as AI continues to develop further, will its impact be felt on the freelance economy? Read on to find out!
- What is Artificial Intelligence?
- Artificial Intelligence and the work landscape
- Benefits of AI to freelancers
- Impact of AI on freelancers and the freelancing market (Poll results)
- Conclusion: Plenty of opportunities for freelancers
What is Artificial Intelligence?
Artificial Intelligence, is a field of computer science that deals with depicting human thoughts and actions with the help of computers.
The aim here is to develop systems that process tasks independently – as if they were being done by a human. For this to be possible, experts need to enable machines to learn.
This is done using special algorithms and data. Through training, the Artificial Intelligence continuously improves until it is finally able to carry out its defined task independently.
Artificial Intelligence is changing the work landscape
With the ever increasing advancements in technology, newer job titles and opportunities have now arisen. For example, the job role Data Scientist didn’t exist up until a few years ago. Now however, it is one of the most popular jobs in the world – all thanks to Artificial Intelligence.
So while people may think that Artificial Intelligence takes away jobs, because of the advancements provided by AI technology, there will be new jobs in the future that we haven’t thought of yet.
According to a report published by Citrix, new-age jobs like AI Engineer, AI trainer, CAI (Chief of AI), VR Manager, and more will be created and tied into initiatives such as AI and related technologies.
Artificial Intelligence has also started to have an impact on employee productivity within the workplace. According to the same report by Citrix, almost 89% of senior officials believe that technology will bring a major boost to productivity in their organization by 2035. This is just one of the many benefits that Artificial Intelligence has to offer workers. Let’s take a look at some more down below.
Benefits of AI to freelancers
AI’s ability to process tasks independently can prove to be incredibly beneficial to freelancers and can also help them find ideal jobs while meeting expectations in an efficient manner.
Some of the ways that Artificial Intelligence can help freelancers include:
- Task automation: No more repetitive or mundane tasks! With AI, freelancers have the option to focus on higher-value work.
- Increase in productivity: As mentioned above, AI tools can help freelancers work more efficiently, which in turn can increase productivity.
- 24/7 performance: AI can help ensure 24/7 service availability and can help freelancers deliver the same performance and consistency throughout the day.
- More creativity: With AI, freelancers can generate new ideas.
- New job opportunities: AI can now create new job opportunities for freelancers in various industries.
A lot of platforms and services have begun using technology to connect freelancers with clients all around the world – and freelancermap is no different! We use AI to match freelancers with projects that are tailored specifically to them!
AI is also being used to automate tasks that are typically done by freelancers. Facebook is using it to create automatic captions for its videos, which could replace the need for freelance transcribers. Similarly, Google is using Artificial Intelligence to generate descriptions of images, which could replace the need for freelance writers.
As technology continues to develop, it is likely to have an even greater impact on the freelance economy. This could include automating more tasks that are currently done by freelancers, as well as changing the way that freelancers find and connect with clients.
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Exploring the impact of Artificial Intelligence on freelancers and the freelancing market
Now that we know what Artificial Intelligence can do for freelancers, let’s take a look at the impact already being made in the freelance market and how freelancers are responding to it.
The results of our survey of 1283 freelancers worldwide between January and February 2023 show that ChatGPT (a natural language-trained Artificial Intelligence model), the latest ChatBot from the OpenAI foundation, funded by Microsoft and Elon Musk, is already being extensively used by freelancers since it became available for public testing in November last year.
This model can do much more than just answer questions about programming languages or write invoices on request. By leveraging the power of this Artificial Intelligence tool, freelancers can open up possibilities that were never imaginable before.
Key facts:
- 3 out of 10 freelancers are actively using AI-based tools and software
- Almost half of the surveyed is using them for information research, and 40% for copywriting
- 60% use ChatGPT, followed by Youchat, Copilot and others
- The greatest downside of these tools seems to be the susceptibility to errors, the greatest advantage the increase of efficiency and productivity
- 55% don’t think AI will replace freelancers
- According to one third, the sectors development, data and tech will benefit the most from Artificial Intelligence
Freelancers are driving the technical revolution
For a long time, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been considered the technology of the future and a very distant reality. Now, it’s finally here and it’s gaining in popularity.
According to our survey, nearly a third of freelancers regularly use AI tools and software in their work, with the majority of them (60%) having incorporated ChatGPT into their workflows. Another third (31%) assert to use them often or very often.
AI is revolutionizing access to information for freelancers
Freelancers benefit the most from the new opportunities AI is offering when searching for information. Almost half of them (47%) use AI applications for research. Freelancers appreciate efficient searching for information and AI can definitely make a difference here. With an AI model providing knowledge in a concise and timely way, people no longer have to search through search engines for it.
As a result, major search engines have taken notice and joined the trend. For example, Microsoft has implemented ChatGPT into its Bing search engine to compete with Google. In response, the tech giant has created its own chatbot, Bard, to make it easier for freelancers to quickly find answers to questions they have in a professional context.
Freelancers are already tapping into the power of AI to do more than just search for information; they’re using it to generate texts, brainstorming, create visuals, and even develop and review code.
Jobs in tech and media could particularly benefit from Artificial Intelligence
Freelancers working in the tech, development, and data (29%) sectors have identified the greatest potential for AI, with marketing and communication following close behind (21%).
AI excels in both crunching numbers and understanding text-based data, which explains why these industries are the most primed to benefit. While 2 out of 10 independent professionals predict that AI will take over certain areas of their work altogether, more than a third (39%) see AI as an opportunity to grow and maximize efficiency.
Greater profit through more productivity
Freelancers believe that AI will bring great improvements to the efficiency and automation of processes. That ultimately it will lead to better earning opportunities than those of traditional employees.
For example, those who bill their client by project rather than by hour will benefit directly from the increased speed and boosted productivity enabled by Artificial Intelligence-based tools. Freelancers who embrace this new technology can complete projects in a shorter amount of time than their competitors.
To get the most out of these tools, users should ask precise questions, called prompts, to Artificial Intelligence systems such as ChatGPT. For instance, an IT freelancer might ask for a prompt that describes the advantages and challenges of using cloud technologies in application development, as well as strategies for overcoming them.
Almost three-quarters of business leaders (73%) believe that technology and Artificial Intelligence will make workers at least twice as productive by 2035, while only 39 percent of employees share this vision, the researchers also find.
Forbes
Susceptibility to errors is the greatest downside of Artificial Intelligence
ChatGPT is often accurate in many cases, yet relying solely on its accuracy is a hazard. When you inquire about the language model of a topic you are unfamiliar with, it is hard to estimate how precise or inaccurate the response will be.
This has caused almost 25% of freelancers to rate the propensity to commit errors as the most significant downside of artificial intelligence.
When asked about the possibility of being replaced, 2 out of 10 freelancers surveyed feared that AI could potentially replace them. Most freelancers however think that while these tools can benefit them, they will not be able to replace them.
Conclusion: Plenty of opportunities for freelancers
Hardly a day passes without a new AI system being unveiled. These tools are growing and the survey shows that the most freelancers have already adopted them in their workflows.
Freelancers will profit from the Artificial Intelligence technology creating new earning prospects for themselves. They are able to capitalize on the efficiency gains of AI and become advisors and developers of the technology.
How has Artificial Intelligence impacted you as a freelancer? Share your thoughts with us down below!
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