Will Artificial Intelligence (AI) Replace Freelancers?

Will artificial intelligence (AI) replace my job? What will we do when that happens?

It’s a question that most people are now starting to think about.

To be honest, I’ve often wondered about it too.

Just recently, I came across a software that writes articles using Artificial Intelligence (AI). That’s basically my job automated by a robot.

My first thought was that this software won’t be able to replace me. It will probably generate some robotic articles with words scraped from the Internet. And boy was I wrong.

This AI software is capable of generating high-quality articles. You only have to enter a few keyphrases and it generates an article as if it was written by a human.

As a full-time freelance writer, this was very concerning for me. And the scary part is that it’s not the only software I came across. There are many other AI software and platforms that are already replacing my job.

And not just my job, many other jobs are at risk as well. So I kept doing more research and came across a very scary yet comforting conclusion.

AI will replace our jobs, sooner than you’d think. But, we’ll find a way to overcome that revolution. Here why.

How AI Is Replacing Jobs

In the US, more than 60 million jobs were replaced by AI and robots. And it’s expected to rise to about 85 million jobs by 2025. That’s not too far away.

If you think about it, AI has already replaced many of our jobs.

For example, self-driving cars and trucks have already started replacing drivers.

Especially most freelancing jobs are already being replaced by AI-powered software.

There are now software that lets you automatically generate logo designs, website designs, blog articles, product copy, translate documents, transcribe audio, create voice-over narration, and even write novels and movie scripts just as good as a human.

I can’t name all these software here but if you do a quick Google search, you’ll see dozens of apps.

You Can’t Live In Denial Forever

Human jobs being replaced by machines or robots is nothing new. Yet people have a hard time accepting the inevitable future. Because living in denial is more comfortable.

The same thing happened during the industrial revolution. When factory workers were replaced by machines, most people thought a machine could never do the job they do.

They kept living in denial and before long they were left jobless.

The same thing is happening today with AI and technology. Most people still believe that AI can’t be creative like humans. That it won’t be able to replace the job of a comedian or an artist.

The truth is AI keeps getting better and it can already write stand-up comedy, short films, and even create modern art.

(Credit: Getty)

This artwork was created by an AI and it was sold at an auction for $430,000. The person standing next to the piece is not the artist. He’s part of the team behind the AI.

And if you want to know if AI can be funny, check out this Netflix stand-up comedy.

It’s Not A Bad Thing

Sure, these creations are not perfect. But think about how far AI has come in the past few years and how fast it’s advancing. It won’t be long before it replaces most of our jobs.

Yes, it can be scary. But it can be a good thing at the same time. Because you can actually try to turn this around.

The industrial revolution didn’t destroy humanity. It created new jobs for people. And encouraged us to find more meaningful work and level up our skills.

Isn’t that a good thing?

What Can You Do To Protect Your Future?

As a writer, the only advantage I have over AI software right now is the ability to add emotions and personal experience to my written content.

But I know it won’t be long before AI learns how to do that. It could happen within the next 10-15 years.

And there are software out there that are powerful enough to replace many jobs of designers, translators, and artists.

So what can we do to protect our future?

One thing we can do is to learn new skills, especially skills that complement the skills you’re already familiar with.

For example, if you’re a web designer you could learn copywriting. It will allow you to combine your skills to offer a unique service to your clients. Something that AI won’t be able to do for a long time.

And it will also give you something to fall back on if/when AI replaces your job.

Another thing you should start doing right now is to learn about emerging technologies. Learn how they work and find ways you can create jobs around them.

Like when machines replaced factory workers, they found new jobs as technicians who fix the machines when they broke down.

I didn’t write this to scare you but only to give you a heads up. I’m in the same boat as you are.

I know one thing is sure that humans will find a way to overcome anything. It’s in our nature. We can beat AI.

Featured image via Freepik.com