1. Copywriter replaced: CHATGPT cost-cutting led to layoff, job loss due to AI.
2. AI threatens high-paying jobs: Writers, marketers, social media workers at risk.
3. AI limitations: Lack of personal voice, style; wrong or biased answers; crisis point.
Olivia Lipkin, a copywriter in San Francisco, experienced the impact of AI firsthand when her assignments dwindled and she was eventually laid off without explanation. She discovered that her company had been using CHATGPT, a chatbot, as a cheaper alternative to hiring a writer. This incident confirmed her anxieties about AI replacing human workers and left her feeling insecure and out of a job. Economists predict that AI technology like CHATGPT could potentially replace millions of jobs, particularly those involving tasks such as writing marketing and social media content.
Eric Fein, a content writer, also faced job loss as his clients transitioned to using CHATGPT instead of his services. Despite warning his clients about the limitations of AI in terms of creativity and originality, they chose the cost-effective option. Fein’s entire copywriting business disappeared almost overnight, pushing him to pursue a trade that AI cannot replicate. He enrolled in courses to become an HVAC technician and plans to train as a plumber, considering trades to be more future-proof than jobs susceptible to automation.
Companies that have replaced workers with chatbots have encountered significant challenges and errors. The use of AI-generated articles resulted in numerous mistakes, a lawyer relying on CHATGPT cited fictional cases, and a helpline replaced its staff with a chatbot that provided insensitive and harmful advice. Despite these setbacks, some companies prioritize cost-cutting over quality, forcing a trade-off between the two. The increasing use of AI in the workplace raises questions about the acceptability of imitation and the impact on job quality and workers’ livelihoods. As a result, individuals like Lipkin are reconsidering traditional office work and exploring alternative paths, recognizing that people are being replaced by robots in the pursuit of the cheapest solution.
