How 'AI slop' is creating new freelance jobs for humans
What's the story
Generative AI's rise promises unprecedented efficiency but it also produces an abundance of low-quality outputs colloquially known as "AI slop." Now, a growing niche of creative professionals is earning income by repairing or refining bot-generated work. Rather than replacing human artistry, these flawed outputs are creating new opportunities. This trend is especially prevalent in creative fields like writing, art and coding. The same technology that threatened to make graphic designer Lisa Carstens redundant is now keeping her busier than ever.
New opportunities
Fixing poorly executed AI-generated logos
Carstens, a Spanish freelancer, now spends most of her time helping start-ups and individual clients fix their poorly executed AI-generated logos. These logos are often marred by messy lines and gibberish text. "There are people who know AI isn't perfect, and then there are people who come to you angry because they couldn't do it themselves with AI," Carstens said.
Market impact
New job market for gig workers
The limitations of AI have created a new job market for many gig workers. Writers are being hired to improve ChatGPT's writing, artists to fix flawed AI images, and software developers to debug apps coded by AI assistants. A recent MIT report found that outsourced workers have been replaced more by AI than permanent employees. It also revealed that 95% of businesses' AI pilots yield no return on investment due to the systems' inability to learn or adapt over time.
Writing challenges
The shift in freelance writing
Georgia-based freelance writer Kiesha Richardson has seen a shift in her work since the rise of AI. She says half of her current jobs involve clients hiring her to edit or rewrite their AI-generated articles that "don't look remotely human at all." However, some clients don't appreciate the effort that goes into making a poorly written AI article sound more human, often offering lower pay for these tasks.
Market trends
Surge in demand for creative work
As businesses grapple with their AI strategies, freelance job platforms Upwork, Freelancer and Fiverr have reported a surge in demand for various types of creative work. Upwork has seen an increase in demand for complex tasks like content strategy or creative art direction. Fiverr has also witnessed a 250% rise in demand for niche tasks across web design and book illustration over the past six months.
Consumer response
Backlash against brands using AI
Brands caught using AI have faced backlash from consumers. Last month, Guess drew criticism online after featuring an AI-generated model in a Vogue ad. This shows that even beyond obvious mistakes made by AI tools, some artists say their clients simply want a human touch to stand out from the sea of AI-generated content online.