Is ChatGPT killing writing jobs on Upwork?

[airmanx]

As a top-rated plus writer, I used to receive invitations almost every day. Now, after ChatGPT became famous, it has been weeks since I received an invite. I'm wondering if it's just a coincidence or has ChatGPT already started makin its impact on Upwork. I would like to ask other writers for their comments on ChatGPT and what they are doing in this situation,

[khalidaehaab]

Ah! ChatGPT can produce human like text, but it is not capable of matching the accuracy and nuance that a human writer can provide. The power of the human mind, specifically creativity, cannot be replicated by a machine  Artificial Intelligence .

[melaniekhenson]

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Mohammad Khalid I wrote:

Ah! ChatGPT can produce human like text, but it is not capable of matching the accuracy and nuance that a human writer can provide. The power of the human mind, specifically creativity, cannot be replicated by a machine  Artificial Intelligence .

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The text can come off as very human, as it is sourced from people's actual writing (if only said people knew about it, but alas...nah).

So actually, the writing comes from human beings and therefore can have the same nuance or emotions as a human has:  specifically, those of the unknowing, original author(s).

[discobubbles · Accepted solution]

It can and it can't. I'd have to read more of it, to be sure, but what I have read lacks something. Maybe it is "the voice behind the voice." I could reference different movies all day long but part of what makes my movie references different behind them is the intent.

This isn't to say that the work coming out isn't adequate, but is it good?

And one other thought, I imagine that the words are often vetted by a human author before released for publication. So changes and tweaks are most likely made, unless you are telling me that no editing goes on.

[williamtcooper]

James,

Read this post that Samer and I are talking about the AI revolution. I post a lot of details that you will find interesting.

https://community.upwork.com/t5/Freelancers/Buzzfeed-amp-ChatGPT-Thoughts-From-Writers/m-p/1239146#M...

[d9b398ce]

I m interested your work detel pliz

[3ddf4c06]

My friend is Bangladeshi, and we currently reside in Bangladesh. Recently, he traveled to Malaysia on a work visa. While in Malaysia, he became interested in freelancing and intended to create an account on Upwork. However, during the account creation process, he used Malaysia as his location. Despite submitting his passport and visa for verification, it wasn't accepted.

Now, he's unsure about whether he should use Bangladesh as his location on Upwork, even though he's residing in Malaysia. Alternatively, if he needs to verify his Malaysian location, he's curious about the documents required by Upwork for verification purposes.

[tlsanders]

There is actually a law firm running around the internet soliciting writers and artists whose content may have been stolen by AI.

[feed_my_eyes]

I agree, it won't replace good writers (yet); the main problem is going to be that a lot of people who can't write - at all - are going to think that they can join websites like Upwork and pass themselves off as writers. If the good writers are buried under a sea of ChatGPT-using wannabes, it will affect invitation rates and the probability of proposals being read. 

[3ddf4c06]

true

[1b9493d5]

Possibly. I have a very foreboding, sinking feeling about AI. I don't like it. This technology can do many jobs in its currect incarnations as well as a human. I'm not a fan, and do believe it will replace most jobs within the next 10 years unless someone wakes up and shuts these projects down.  I know that sounds severe, but this tech is already writing code, interpreting the results of x-rays and CAT scans, and creating artwork.

[tlsanders]

In the medical arena, it's already (in its toddlerhood, if not infancy) doing a better job of diagnosis than humans. Would you really prefer that more people die unnecessarily so as to preserve the opportunity for humans to do the job poorly? 

[williamtcooper]

Medicine is an area that AI tools can significantly improve patient results and will continue to improve.

[b12389bf]

I like to write poems. Please give me a chance to write poems.

[d9b398ce]

Hello I m interested your work 

[yofazza]

I have a few personal projects (websites) that involves articles in English and my native language. The English ones are usually bad. ChatGPT, even the current free test feature, helps.

I'm pretty sure there's a lot of people who used to hire "affordable" writers just to fill their website with English articles without blatant copy-pasting, now turn into ChatGPT.

But I don't know, maybe Google will eventually use another AI to accurately determine content written by AI, and rank it accordingly. Which means the ChatGPT won't be useful for this purpose anymore.

> what they are doing in this situation,

Shakesperean ChatGPT said:

For one may argue, 'tis but a tool to aid

The human pen, not replace it entirely.

Perchance, new opportunities may arise

In curation, editing, and strategy.

Thus, the question remains, what path to take?

To suffer the loss of jobs, or to adapt

And thrive in a changing world, the choice is yours.

My personal opinion about AI in general is basically the same with what most people would say, it currently can't replace humans on some level. You can tell ChatGPT to create simple PHP scripts, but currently not the "complex" ones. It will greatly help someone learning to progam, but can't replace real/creative programming jobs. I find it like talking to computers in some sci-fi movie, it's smarter/better than humans in some aspect but limited in other.

[tlsanders]

But I don't know, maybe Google will eventually use another AI to accurately determine content written by AI, and rank it accordingly. Which means the ChatGPT won't be useful for this purpose anymore.

I think we can assume that they are already trying, if not successfully implementing, since Google's checklist for questions to ask yourself before posting in the wake of the last update included  "Was it written by a human?"

[kev86]

Hello, Imran

As a writer, it's true that invites are down. But I don't think ChatGPT has anything to do with it. For me, I've noticed that invites go down in January but somewhat pick up as the year progresses. That's just my personal cycle. Maybe business and clients are still charting their course for the year and we may see more jobs in February moving forward. 

I was recently hired by 2 clients and they made it clear they don't want writing that's done by ChatGPT. I've used ChatGPT and, for sure, it has a repetitive/robotic pattern of writing that any keen reader/writer can notice. Some people may use it to write proposals and cheap articles but I don't think any top-notch client wants ChatGPT-style of writing for their book. People still desire writing that personally connects to the reader. 

[5f181a04]

I hope you are right about a January decline; then things picking up after that. As a newer member, I have had a lot of activity on my profile after proposals; but I'm just not having a great deal of success.  

[c18f1786]

I think your experience just reflects the way things have been heading for Upwork, not the impact of ChatGPT (or other LLMs) per se.

I've noticed a decline in 'real' work opportunities for some time, but it's really fallen off a cliff over the last few months or so. Much of my work is now coming from elsewhere. I think most serious clients have now departed the platform; certainly the ones who are willing to pay professional rates.

In sum, there aren't as many decent work opportunities on Upwork as there used to be, and I've noticed the situation get considerably worse in recent months. Since you're in the US, your rate will likely be much higher than most remaining clients in your category will want to pay.

There's occasional high-quality clients out there but they're few and far between these days.

[melaniekhenson]

It might be killing jobs for basics/uncomplicated copy such as SM posts. 

For the type of writing I do, I'm not worried. AI is not there yet (by itself, without lifting others' copy). By the time it is, I hope to have transitioned to a retirement/novelist space anyway.

ChatGPT takes others' work and hands it over to you. For snippets or for very standard lingo that everyone uses, users may be able to claim ignorance and innocence fairly easily. But any more than a sentence or two that is generic enough that one can't exclusively pinpoint it to one original source, and/or if the copy is too specific in certain ways, I predict we are going to start seeing lawsuits everywhere from thousands of authors of lifted and sold (via this app) material. I have been wondering how that is all going to shake out. 

When you DL the app, do you have to check a box saying you know the material is sourced from others' work without their knowledge and consent? 

This would all just make me so nervous. Somebody's going to get it when the plagiarism accusation s hits.

Now if the app literally created its own words? From its own "head"? (Or processor?) Then I might be nervous, LOL. Or maybe just fascinated. But that's not the case at this point.

[ca9e5e43]

I couldn't agree more!

[williamtcooper]

Melanie,

Yes the current API writing applications create original writing using pattern recognition not scraped websites. The writing ability in my opinion is almost at an average writer's level. As an expert, you are safe because professional clients will want expert articles and content not average to stay ahead of their competition.

However if a large company has 100 writers and now only needs 20 to get the same job completed, there is less of a need for freelancer writers because now there are 80 new writers seeking a job.

This will NOT be an overnight process which will give all of us some time to increase our Skill set to stay ahead.

Some are guessing - only guessing - that the Microsoft Suite since they own 49% of OpenAI will integrate AI into Microsoft products which corporate America uses.

It's going to get very interesting!

[melaniekhenson]

That's interesting! I'm not worried about it being competition, and I realize that we live in a tech world, so it's not that I'm mad at this. 😆 I'm actually pretty fascinated, and I believe that on some level, art will always be art and utility will always be utility, and there is room for both, at least for now.

[williamtcooper]

Since you enjoy the topic, here are a few national AI headlines:

- AI makes a B grade on Wharton MBA test.

- AI makes 1020 on SAT exam.

- AI passes medical state exam.

- AI passes several section of state law exam.

- AI codes web site.

- AI writes full business plan.

- AI writes a novel in a day.

Those that embrace the new tools will do extremely well especially if they are at an expert level in their field. I think it's fun also and why not continue to learn and evolve.