AI can only automate 2.5% of freelance work, says new study
Turns out, AI isn't taking over freelance gigs just yet.
A fresh study shows that even the most advanced AI agents—like Manus and Grok 4—can handle only a small share of tasks—Manus about 2.5% and Grok 4 about 2.1%—in fields like software development, design, architecture, and data analysis.
RLI: A real-world test for AI
Researchers used the new Remote Labor Index (RLI) to see how well AI performs on actual freelance projects—think thousands of hours across different industries, with human-level results as the benchmark.
Where AI falls short
Even the top-performing bots struggled with tricky stuff like complex editing or using multiple tools at once.
Most couldn't follow detailed instructions all the way through, showing there are still big gaps in what they can do.
So what's next for freelancers?
Right now, AI is more of a helper than a replacement—it's good at generating ideas but not so great at handling full projects solo.
The takeaway: your creative and problem-solving skills are still very much needed!