How AI is transforming the freelance business

© Unsplash/Luke Peters

It’s a fact. Artificial intelligence (AI) is gradually transforming the world of work. And this is even more true for freelancers according to a study by Fiverr, an online marketplace for independent workers.

Freelancers have a better relationship with AI than employees

The survey reveals that nearly 50% of freelancers use AI, compared to a third of employees. A trend that can be explained by several factors. Freelancers must constantly adapt to new trends to meet the needs of their clients. They are more inclined to offer innovative solutions to remain competitive. This has also been the case with other technologies in the past, such as certain programming languages, explains Franck Thomas, France manager of Fiverr.

It is easier for a freelancer to integrate AI into their work without going through restrictive approval processes or strict policies. Conversely, employees are subject to more restrictive frameworks. ” In highly structured companies, it is necessary to clearly identify the points of use, the use cases, avoid data loss, etc. There is ultimately a framework that takes time “, continues the expert.

For freelancers, it is also a question of optimizing their working time to become more profitable. “ They are more attentive to these tools that can allow them to save time and therefore better monetize it for their clients “, specifies Franck Thomas.

AI augments freelancers' skills

AI allows freelancers to compress their repetitive work tasks and, as a result, offer services that were previously impossible or too expensive. This observation is particularly relevant in creative professions.

The manager gives the example of segmenting an element in a video. The clipping, carried out pixel by pixel and frame by frame, requires hours of work. Thanks to AI, the segmentation is automated in just a few minutes. The clipping is carried out by itself thanks to technology. By using such tools, freelancers are becoming more and more attractive to companies.

67% of independents are seeing an increase in demand for their AI-enhanced know-how, according to the study. Similarly, 45% of business leaders are recruiting from external sources because they are faced with a shortage of AI skills internally. 63% of these recruitments are targeted towards the architecture, engineering and construction sectors.

Upstream, managers are also calling on consultants capable of identifying the use cases that are relevant to their business. “ They play the role of technical ambassadors, who open up new avenues for companies “, summarizes Franck Thomas. The rise of AI also sees the emergence of new specializations, such as prompt engineering.

What about employees ?

The expert is categorical: this propensity of freelancers to turn to AI does not represent a threat to employees. According to him, employment is not opposed to independent work because freelancing is above all a step in a career: “ many freelancers are former employees or future employees“. Thus, the skills and methodologies acquired as an employee are often then applied as a freelancer, and vice versa.

Companies see freelancers more as a source of skills to be used occasionally. They integrate a core team of employees and freelancers for specific needs, making it possible to combine the strengths of both statuses. ” The employee gets a raise in his team, just like the project manager, thanks to these freelancers “, summarizes Franck Thomas.

A trend set to grow with younger generations

The growing importance of AI in the professional world is all the more notable among younger workers. A quarter of those surveyed by Fiverr are considering specializing in AI. The rate is particularly high among GenZ and millennials, with 31% and 34% respectively. At the same time, 64% of under-35s in the United States are considering or already doing freelance work, according to a survey conducted by Collective.

The convergence is clear. ” It's a modus operandi, a way of functioning that companies will have to find, in order to adapt to the aspirations of a generation », believes the head of Fiverr France. Since generative AI is still a nascent sector, young people are not disadvantaged by a lack of experience in this field, quite the contrary. They can even take advantage of a deficit in supply in the face of growing demand.

To understand the trends that await us in the world of freelancing, Franck Thomas mentions Fiverr's business trend index, which helps determine which skills will be most required in the future. AI-related skills have exploded there.

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