My 50% Pay Cut Says Otherwise
I work with AI daily. It’s useful. Sometimes infuriating. Moderately intelligent at times. Entirely inaccurate a lot of the time.
Out of interest, I asked AI what careers are AI-proof, and let me tell you, the conversation proved what I have been saying for a long time; that AI serves one demographic only!
Of the list of very short careers AI produced, creative writing was listed. Now, I’m a leader in the creative sector, and more specifically, in writing. I’ve ghostwritten for multiple clients, blog written for more, and lead a team of incredibly talented freelance writers. I consult on brand creation, design, and product management. At one time, was an Editor in Chief for a European fashion publication. So, I’m fairly certain I can weigh in with authority when it comes to whether creatives are being affected negatively by AI.
I also use AI to automate many of my processes, streamlining, keeping track of projects, and designing prototypes. Yes, I use AI but it is also the one thing that has slashed my rates in half.
What AI is declaring as “safe” is actually not safe in the real world. It’s deluded. Hallucinating. Spewing inaccuracies that are dangerous (despite a commitment to do no harm).
The Market Doesn’t Lie
Freelance platforms are flooded with $5 blog posts. Clients want “AI drafts cleaned up” instead of original work. Content agencies have cut their writing teams and replaced article assignments with machine output that needs “a human touch.”
That “human touch” pays about 50% of what original writing used to.
And look, I’m not bitter about technology evolving. I’m annoyed by the fantasy that AI somehow can’t touch creative work when it’s systematically devaluing everything except the most premium writing gigs. I’m annoyed that every blog, article, LinkedIn post, and brand social media account reads the same. I’m tired of the once meaningful art of knowing where to place an em-dash is now a perverse parade of 100-plus em-dashes per 30,000-word manuscript.
It’s not just that it’s boring—it’s that it’s mind-numbingly obvious that your brand screams authenticity while sounding exactly like every other AI-written post. And yes, I did just use an AI opener to the previous sentence!
The Real Pattern Here
Look at what AI is actually doing. It’s not coming for manual labor first. It’s gutting knowledge work. The comfortable middle-class positions:
- Writers (hello)
- Designers getting undercut by Midjourney
- Analysts replaced by automated reporting
- Customer service reps competing with chatbots
Meanwhile, manual laborers are still demanding $200 per hour, and the AI execs… weddings in Venice, anyone?
The Uncomfortable AI Truth
AI isn’t making everyone more productive. It’s making a few people incredibly wealthy while telling everyone else to adapt or die. It’s draining creativity, massacring independent thought, and brutally eliminating the middle class. The value flows to whoever owns the AI tools, not the people using them. As if we’re all supposed to be grateful for the chance to work faster for less money, competing with algorithms that our clients think are good enough.
And look, I’ve only survived the AI revolution by adapting and changing to what the market wants. If 20% okay is good enough for 50% pay, I have no problem leading an army of AI writers. I have no issues creating AI brands in 5 days, analyzing market segments with AI, heck, I’ll create your entire company for you using only AI. But I will not defend a brand that promotes authenticity while underpaying labor and cutting corners.
The real question we need to begin asking isn’t what AI can’t do, but what jobs AI makes more valuable, and then paying people what they’re worth to use AI properly.
Because ultimately, the market is going to tire of generic AI posts in the same way they tired of influencers. They’re going to demand to see your originality and authenticity in practice.
The bottom line is that you should never trust AI to tell you what’s safe from AI. Trust the market. Trust your bank account. Trust the fact that if technology could accurately predict its own impact, we’d all be a lot richer and safer in our careers. Trust that your people matter more to your clients than you think they do.