The demand for freelancers working in writing, and coding associated jobs has dropped by 21 p.c because the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022, in accordance with new analysis by Imperial School Enterprise Faculty, Harvard Enterprise Faculty and the German Institute for Financial Analysis. This analysis paper, Who’s AI Changing? The Influence of Generative AI on On-line Freelancing Platforms, seems on the affect of GenAI applied sciences on the demand for artistic professionals who work on an hourly foundation for various purchasers.
The researchers reviewed information on a worldwide on-line freelancing job platform, of virtually two million job postings on the location, unfold throughout 61 totally different nations, for a two-year interval between July 2021 – July 2023.
They categorised these jobs roles into three sectors – automation-prone, handbook work and picture technology. The researchers reviewed the frequency of job postings all through the two-year interval to grasp the demand for freelancers working for various organisations, and whether or not this was influenced by the launch of Chat GPT.
The examine discovered that because the introduction of ChatGPT in November 2022, the variety of job postings associated with writing, software program, app and internet improvement, and engineering, in any other case referred to as automation-prone jobs, had fallen by 21 p.c in comparison with the interval earlier than ChatGPT was launched.
Nevertheless, freelance job postings centered round information entry, video and audio enhancing, and social media publish manufacturing have been barely extra much less affected by ChatGPT, dropping by 13 p.c. Jobs centered on image-generation equivalent to graphic design and 3D modelling noticed a 17 p.c drop in demand on the web job platform after image-generating AI instruments.
The researchers backed up these findings by reviewing patterns from Google search quantity indexes, which confirmed that sectors the place employees had a excessive consciousness on generative AI and the best way to utilise it i.e. the tech trade, exhibited a extra important decline in demand from employers.
It nonetheless stays to be seen whether or not organisations are proud of the standard of labor that AI supplies
Dr Xinrong Zhu, co-author and Assistant Professor of Advertising at Imperial School Enterprise Faculty, mentioned: “Regardless of being accessible in the marketplace for simply over a yr, ChatGPT has already had a huge effect on the office. Although many organisations could also be shifting from freelancers to generative AI, it nonetheless stays to be seen whether or not organisations are proud of the standard of labor that AI supplies compared to freelancers, and whether or not this development will proceed.
“Though the findings of our analysis counsel that the roles market seems gloomy, at any time when expertise sweeps professions apart, new ones will emerge. For freelancers, which means that these individuals adapt their skillsets to the altering panorama, will proceed to safe work sooner or later,” she mentioned.
The researchers say that it stays unclear how generative AI expertise will have an effect on the digital labour market in the long term. The widespread adoption of generative AI by employers as a alternative for human employees could exacerbate an present decline in demand for labour, worsening employees’ welfare. In the meantime, the analysis means that generative AI may also improve employees’ productiveness and will consequently enhance individuals’s earnings.
Trying forward, the researchers say you will need to emphasise the continued want for roles that demand a extra human contact, equivalent to initiatives that decision for a higher diploma of creativity, intricate problem-solving and nuanced understanding. In response to the researchers, the longer term office would require a mess of various abilities and the human intelligence to supply them.
This analysis was performed by Dr Xinrong Zhu, Assistant Professor in Advertising at Imperial School Enterprise Faculty, alongside Dr Ozge Demirci, a Postdoctoral Fellow from Harvard Enterprise Faculty and incoming Imperial Assistant Professor, and Jonas Hannane, a PhD pupil from the German Institute for Financial Analysis. The examine is obtainable to obtain from the SSRN web site.
