4 ms·

Freelance Writing as a Profession Is Getting Nuked by GPT

7 points by ftxbro 4y ago

paulpauper 4y ago
I was expecting a link to a story. this just goes to a reddit sub It's interesting how top substack writers are earning more than ever and getting record subs since early 2021 despite AI. Same for top Twitter people. The authors I follow keep getting more and more 'likes' and comments on their posts.
- ftxbro 4y ago
  > I was expecting a link to a story. this just goes to a reddit sub I mean if you want one, you can just get GPT to make one from this month's top posts. It's kind of the point! -- Freelance Writing as a Profession Is Getting Nuked by GPT As technology advances, it seems that no industry is safe from automation. Freelance writing, once a reliable source of income for many, is now being threatened by a new player in the game: GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) language models. In the freelancewriters subreddit forum, posts discussing the impact of GPT on the freelance writing industry have become increasingly common. Some writers have even reported losing clients to GPT-powered writing services. One user shared their experience of being replaced by ChatGPT, a tool that uses AI-generated content to create articles. Another writer was asked for a refund because their client believed the work was AI-generated. And yet another writer lost three clients to AI and was rejected by a potential client who favored a competitor that used chatbots for research. Even established content mills like WordAgents have faced mutiny from their writers due to the increasing use of GPT language models. The once-reliable source of income for freelance writers is now being threatened by a new technology that is more cost-effective and efficient. In response to clients who ask why they should hire a human writer when GPT-4 is only $20 per month, some writers in the subreddit forum have pointed out that human writers offer a unique voice and perspective that cannot be replicated by machines. They also argue that AI-generated content lacks the creativity and emotional depth that comes naturally to human writers. While some may see GPT as a threat to their livelihood, others see it as an opportunity to adapt and evolve in the industry. Some writers have started to incorporate GPT-generated text into their work, using it as a tool to enhance their writing and make it more efficient. As the saying goes, "adapt or die." Freelance writers who refuse to evolve with changing technology will likely find themselves struggling to find work in a market that is rapidly becoming saturated with AI-generated content. However, those who are willing to embrace this new technology and find ways to incorporate it into their work may find themselves in a stronger position to succeed. In conclusion, it appears that freelance writing as a profession is being nuked by GPT. However, the impact of this new technology is not all negative. While it may displace some writers, it also presents an opportunity for growth and adaptation. Ultimately, it will be up to individual writers to decide how they want to respond to this new challenge.
- ftxbro 4y ago
  > top substack writers are earning more than ever When I see substack links I feel two things. One is relief that it wasn't a quora or medium dot com link, so I will probably be able to at least read it. Second is impeding doom because substack now looks like how quora or medium dot com used to look, so it seems inevitable that substack will turn into that. I'm not sure exactly how to express what I mean by 'turn into that' but maybe that's also why I'm not getting paid to be a writer.
  - Cardinal7167 4y ago
    No what you’re saying makes complete sense to me. It’s just the Cycle of Life © I guess
- anigbrowl 4y ago
  Preferential attachment is a real thing and unfortunately we have built more of social tech platforms around the phenomenon. When you get onto a new platform there's a short window of opportunity to stand out and if you really go at it you can pull away from the pack and become an influencer/micro-celebrity. If you have been on the platform for a while and not already 'made it' (assuming you aspire to be popular of course), then it will probably not happen unless you start over with a fresh identity and a different act.
ftxbro 4y ago
Well hacker news changed the url. I originally had one that listed the top posts for this month, but that extra information has been stripped.
MattGaiser 4y ago
So much copywriting is low quality SEO filler anyway. There are tons of businesses out there that just want content and want to regularly publish content as it makes their site seem active. I played around in that field for a while for a few side dollars and even as a writer for a company that didn't go for the cheapest solution, they really didn't care too much about the content, just that there was content. Several times, it was clearly never read by whoever titled it. Not surprised at all.
- paulpauper 4y ago
  And now these low quality results are clogging google. You cannot search for anything , outside of complicated science/math topics, without getting shitty personal development or coaching blogs . Or websites full of ads and keyword filler, such as recipe websites. It's out of control. GPT will make it worse.
  - WalterSear 4y ago
    GPT will read it for us and throw away the crap.
- ftxbro 4y ago
  They make a big distinction on that freelancing forum. They call the ones you are talking about "content mills." It looks like what is happening, is that low paid content-mill human writers are getting pushed out by GPT, and they are now competing for the jobs that the non-content-mill human writers were doing. This cascade is driving down the payment amounts for freelance writers across the whole spectrum of skill and expertise levels.

7 points by ftxbro 4y ago

I was expecting a link to a story. this just goes to a reddit sub It's interesting how top substack writers are earning more than ever and getting record subs since early 2021 despite AI. Same for top Twitter people. The authors I follow keep getting more and more 'likes' and comments on their posts.

ftxbro 4y ago
> I was expecting a link to a story. this just goes to a reddit sub I mean if you want one, you can just get GPT to make one from this month's top posts. It's kind of the point! -- Freelance Writing as a Profession Is Getting Nuked by GPT As technology advances, it seems that no industry is safe from automation. Freelance writing, once a reliable source of income for many, is now being threatened by a new player in the game: GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) language models. In the freelancewriters subreddit forum, posts discussing the impact of GPT on the freelance writing industry have become increasingly common. Some writers have even reported losing clients to GPT-powered writing services. One user shared their experience of being replaced by ChatGPT, a tool that uses AI-generated content to create articles. Another writer was asked for a refund because their client believed the work was AI-generated. And yet another writer lost three clients to AI and was rejected by a potential client who favored a competitor that used chatbots for research. Even established content mills like WordAgents have faced mutiny from their writers due to the increasing use of GPT language models. The once-reliable source of income for freelance writers is now being threatened by a new technology that is more cost-effective and efficient. In response to clients who ask why they should hire a human writer when GPT-4 is only $20 per month, some writers in the subreddit forum have pointed out that human writers offer a unique voice and perspective that cannot be replicated by machines. They also argue that AI-generated content lacks the creativity and emotional depth that comes naturally to human writers. While some may see GPT as a threat to their livelihood, others see it as an opportunity to adapt and evolve in the industry. Some writers have started to incorporate GPT-generated text into their work, using it as a tool to enhance their writing and make it more efficient. As the saying goes, "adapt or die." Freelance writers who refuse to evolve with changing technology will likely find themselves struggling to find work in a market that is rapidly becoming saturated with AI-generated content. However, those who are willing to embrace this new technology and find ways to incorporate it into their work may find themselves in a stronger position to succeed. In conclusion, it appears that freelance writing as a profession is being nuked by GPT. However, the impact of this new technology is not all negative. While it may displace some writers, it also presents an opportunity for growth and adaptation. Ultimately, it will be up to individual writers to decide how they want to respond to this new challenge.
ftxbro 4y ago
> top substack writers are earning more than ever When I see substack links I feel two things. One is relief that it wasn't a quora or medium dot com link, so I will probably be able to at least read it. Second is impeding doom because substack now looks like how quora or medium dot com used to look, so it seems inevitable that substack will turn into that. I'm not sure exactly how to express what I mean by 'turn into that' but maybe that's also why I'm not getting paid to be a writer.
- Cardinal7167 4y ago
  No what you’re saying makes complete sense to me. It’s just the Cycle of Life © I guess
anigbrowl 4y ago
Preferential attachment is a real thing and unfortunately we have built more of social tech platforms around the phenomenon. When you get onto a new platform there's a short window of opportunity to stand out and if you really go at it you can pull away from the pack and become an influencer/micro-celebrity. If you have been on the platform for a while and not already 'made it' (assuming you aspire to be popular of course), then it will probably not happen unless you start over with a fresh identity and a different act.

ftxbro 4y ago

Well hacker news changed the url. I originally had one that listed the top posts for this month, but that extra information has been stripped.

MattGaiser 4y ago

So much copywriting is low quality SEO filler anyway. There are tons of businesses out there that just want content and want to regularly publish content as it makes their site seem active. I played around in that field for a while for a few side dollars and even as a writer for a company that didn't go for the cheapest solution, they really didn't care too much about the content, just that there was content. Several times, it was clearly never read by whoever titled it. Not surprised at all.

paulpauper 4y ago
And now these low quality results are clogging google. You cannot search for anything , outside of complicated science/math topics, without getting shitty personal development or coaching blogs . Or websites full of ads and keyword filler, such as recipe websites. It's out of control. GPT will make it worse.
- WalterSear 4y ago
  GPT will read it for us and throw away the crap.
ftxbro 4y ago
They make a big distinction on that freelancing forum. They call the ones you are talking about "content mills." It looks like what is happening, is that low paid content-mill human writers are getting pushed out by GPT, and they are now competing for the jobs that the non-content-mill human writers were doing. This cascade is driving down the payment amounts for freelance writers across the whole spectrum of skill and expertise levels.