AI has taken £120,000 from Joe Turner.
Joe Turner, a 38-year-old writer, lost 70% of his clients to chatbots in a span of two years.
His story is just one of 40 job roles that AI is rapidly replacing, according to conversations the Money team had with industry experts, researchers, and affected workers.
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«It’s a betrayal,» says Turner, who used to earn six figures as a freelancer before generative AI became prevalent.
«You’ve dedicated so much time and effort, only to be replaced by a machine,» he laments.
«You always think ‘it’s never going to happen to me’.»
Research conducted by Microsoft in July revealed that about 85% of the tasks in Turner’s job could be automated by AI.
Microsoft’s analysis showed that its Co-Pilot chatbot could handle at least 90% of the work done by historians and coders, 80% of salespeople and journalists, and 75% of DJs and data scientists.
Other job roles in the top 40 most vulnerable to AI were customer service assistants (72%), financial advisers (69%), and product promoters (62%). Browse the table below to see how your job ranks…
In a conversation with the Money team, senior Microsoft researcher Kiran Tomlinson argued that the study «explores which job categories can productively use AI chatbots, not take away or replace jobs».
Turner, however, disagrees. «That’s just their marketing pitch,» he asserts.
Experts we spoke to shared similar skepticism towards Microsoft’s optimistic claims.
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‘Replaced entirely by the tool’
«In three to five years, there’s a high likelihood that these jobs will be entirely replaced,» states an AI consultant with extensive experience deploying AI in dozens of companies over the past decade.
«Except in cases where the job requires a strong human connection or significant judgment,» they add, requesting anonymity due to their business relationships with various SMEs, large funds, and public entities.
«Jobs like these are most prone to being completely replaced by AI,» agrees AI researcher Xinrong Zhu, an assistant professor at Imperial College London.
«We are at a critical juncture in witnessing significant changes in the world.»
Xinrong Zhu
This sentiment is mirrored by major companies announcing layoffs in recent months.
For instance, buy now, pay later company Klarna reduced its workforce by 40% due to AI investments and a chatbot that was performing the work of 700 employees.
Microsoft itself cut 15,000 jobs while investing in data centers to train AI models and reportedly saving $500 million in call centers through AI.
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy anticipates reducing the corporate workforce by leveraging AI for efficiency gains.
However, the AI consultant warns against jumping to conclusions, noting that AI may not be ready to replace jobs immediately: «Most businesses tend to implement hiring freezes rather than immediate layoffs.»
The UK has not seen a sharp decline in job postings for roles most vulnerable to AI, but their growth has been four times slower than less vulnerable jobs between 2019 and 2024, according to PwC’s AI jobs barometer.
«AI is often used as a scapegoat,» explains the consultant.
«There are several macroeconomic factors leading to job cuts, not just AI.»
Factors like employer national insurance increases, hiring costs, and energy expenses are driving changes, not just AI advancements.
However, the consultant does acknowledge that AI could play a bigger role in the future: «That’s not to say it won’t happen in the near future.»
A Deloitte survey found that 78% of global businesses plan to increase their AI spending this year, while 40% of employers expect to reduce their workforce through AI automation, according to a World Economic Forum survey.
An email that changed everything
Freelancers could be the first to feel the impact of AI.
Within eight months of the introduction of ChatGPT, demand for freelance work related to writing and coding dropped by 21%, as per a study conducted by Zhu last year.
«The extent of the decline was surprising to us,» Zhu remarks.
Turner saw it coming.
In December 2023, he received an email from a long-time client asking about his use of AI. When he replied that he didn’t use AI, communication ceased.
That email marked the end of an era for him. His annual income took a sudden hit of £30,000 overnight when he discovered that his clients had started using AI instead of him. This led to a barren job landscape with most of his clients following suit. The bleak outlook was further emphasized by the heads of leading AI companies, predicting the automation of half of all entry-level white-collar jobs and the complete elimination of entire job categories. Despite the hype around AI, experts like Dr. Fabian Stephany advocate for a more pragmatic approach, considering the historical impact of technology on the labor market. While AI may support various tasks, it cannot fully replace human workers in many occupations. The history of technological innovation also includes examples of job losses, such as the replacement of horses with tractors and the elimination of pinsetters by the Automatic Pinspotter. The potential impact of AI on job quality is also a concern, with some describing AI-generated work as sterile, unfulfilling, and hollow. Looking at AI in the same way is like saying there aren’t enough bad books out there, so we need to create more.
The AI consultant explains that AI isn’t meant to come up with great ideas for creative writing authors, but rather to quickly generate first drafts based on an author’s idea. This can lead to more work for authors rather than less.
The consultant points to examples of AI creating additional human work at companies, such as a landscaping firm using ChatGPT to provide personalized services and a pension provider saving thousands of hours by scanning documents. This extra work may not have been possible without AI due to the cost of manual labor.
While some see AI as a threat to jobs, others like Oxford’s Labour economist Fabian Stephany believe that new technologies rarely completely replace entire professions. However, there are concerns about AI taking over tasks like voiceovers and production, leading to job insecurity for some professionals.
Despite the potential disruptions caused by AI, the government emphasizes the need to train workers in AI skills and create new jobs through initiatives like AI Growth Zones. The government aims to ensure that people of all ages and backgrounds are equipped to adapt to the changing job landscape.
AI has stolen £120,000 from Joe Turner.
The 38-year-old writer lost 70% of his clients to chatbots in two years.
His is one of 40 job roles that AI is fast replacing, according to conversations the Money team had with industry experts, researchers, and affected workers.
Read all the latest Money news here
«It’s a betrayal,» says Turner, who earned six figures as a freelancer before the rise of generative AI.
«You’ve put your heart and soul into it for so long, and then you get replaced by a machine.»
He adds: «You always think ‘it’s never going to happen to me’.»
Joe Turner
Around 85% of the tasks involved in Turner’s job could be performed by AI, according to research published by Microsoft in July that has gone largely unnoticed.
The tech giant’s analysis of 200,000 conversations with its Co-Pilot chatbot concluded it could complete at least 90% of the work carried out by historians and coders, 80% of salespeople and journalists, and 75% of DJs and data scientists.
Also in the top 40 most exposed jobs were customer service assistants (72%), financial advisers (69%) and product promoters (62%). Search the table below to see how your role fares…
Speaking to the Money team, senior Microsoft researcher Kiran Tomlinson insists the study «explores which job categories can productively use AI chatbots, not take away or replace jobs».
Turner for one doesn’t buy this.
He says that is the intended marketing strategy. The experts we interviewed were equally doubtful of Microsoft’s optimism. An AI consultant with over a decade of experience deploying the technology in nearly 40 companies predicts that many jobs could be entirely replaced by AI in the next three to five years, except those that require a personal touch or subjective judgment. AI researcher Xinrong Zhu from Imperial College London agrees that we are at a crucial turning point where many jobs may be taken over by AI.
Recent job cut announcements by major companies, such as Klarna and Microsoft, indicate a trend towards AI replacing human employees. While AI is expected to bring efficiency gains, the consultant warns that it may not immediately lead to layoffs, but hiring freezes are common. PwC’s AI jobs barometer shows that job postings for roles most at risk from AI grew four times slower than those least threatened between 2019 and 2024.
The consultant believes that AI is often used as a scapegoat for job cuts, when in reality, macroeconomic factors such as rising costs are the main drivers. However, the increasing investment in AI by global businesses suggests that job automation will continue to be a significant trend. Freelancers in writing and coding fields have already seen a decline in demand following the introduction of AI tools like ChatGPT.
One freelancer, Turner, received an email inquiring about his use of AI, to which he responded negatively. This led to him being cut off from the website he had worked with for a decade. His annual income saw a sudden decrease of £30,000 overnight.
Upon discovering that his clients had switched to using AI on their website, he found himself losing most of them one by one.
Describing the job landscape as a «complete desert», he faced a bleak outlook for his career.
Looking at AI in the same way is like saying, «There aren’t enough bad books out there, we need to create more.»
The AI consultant explains that AI isn’t meant to come up with great ideas for creative writing authors. Instead, it excels at quickly generating first drafts based on an author’s idea. This could potentially lead to more authors rather than fewer, as seen in some companies that have utilized AI to create additional human work.
However, audio producer Christian Allen, who has lost gigs to AI, worries about the technology taking over. Despite the consultant’s optimism, Allen fears that AI could replace human jobs, like voiceover work in radio. Oxford economist Fabian Stephany challenges this dystopian view, stating that new technology rarely completely replaces entire professions.
While AI may offer benefits and efficiencies, there are concerns about its disruption and impact on jobs. The government’s industrial strategy for the tech sector emphasizes AI’s potential benefits, but there is a lack of guidance on how to adapt to AI-related changes. It is crucial to protect jobs threatened by AI to ensure people can still earn a living. The government claims to prioritize people in its AI plans, offering training opportunities and creating jobs through AI Growth Zones. «It’s clear that AI is replacing human jobs,» he says. «And it’s not just me – it’s happening across multiple industries.»
According to Turner, the key to staying relevant in the age of AI is to continuously upskill and adapt to new technologies. «If you’re not constantly learning and evolving, you’ll be left behind,» he warns.
The rise of AI has also had a significant impact on recruitment practices. Fabian Stephany, a consultant who has been studying the effects of AI on hiring trends, notes that CVs with AI skills are increasingly favored by recruiters. «Employers are looking for candidates who are willing to invest in developing their AI skills,» he explains.
In fact, a recent study found that nearly half of global employers consider AI competency to be a core skill. This trend is reflected in the increasing demand for AI-related skills in job postings on platforms like LinkedIn and Indeed.com.
For workers looking to future-proof their careers, Stephany recommends integrating AI into their current job roles. «Learning skills that allow you to leverage AI can give you a significant career boost,» he advises.
However, not everyone is embracing the AI revolution. Writer Joe Turner recounts how he lost the majority of his clients to AI chatbots, leading to a significant loss in income. «It’s a betrayal,» he laments. «You get replaced by a machine after putting in years of hard work.»
Despite the potential benefits of AI, some clients have expressed dissatisfaction with the quality of AI-generated content. Turner notes that some clients have specifically requested no AI content, citing its lack of authenticity and soul.
In conclusion, the rise of AI is reshaping the workforce and changing the way we work. While AI offers numerous opportunities for growth and advancement, it also presents challenges for workers who must adapt to remain competitive in the job market. By staying informed, upskilling, and embracing new technologies, workers can navigate the changing landscape of AI and thrive in the digital age. He says that is the image they want to portray. The experts we interviewed were equally doubtful of Microsoft’s optimism. If you were to look at these jobs in three to five years, there’s a very good chance they’ve been entirely replaced, according to an AI consultant with extensive experience deploying the technology. They suggest that only relationship-driven or highly judgmental roles are likely to remain unaffected. Xinrong Zhu, an AI researcher at Imperial College London, agrees that these types of jobs are most likely to be completely replaced by AI. It’s a turning point in our world, according to them. His annual income suffered a £30,000 blow overnight as his clients started using AI instead of his services, leaving him in a barren job market. The landscape painted by heads of leading AI companies is bleak, with warnings of half of all entry-level white-collar jobs being at risk. However, a more pragmatic approach is advocated by economists, highlighting the historical impact of technological innovations on the labor market. While AI may automate certain tasks, it is unlikely to fully replace occupations. The history of technological advancements also includes examples of job losses, emphasizing the need to consider the quality of work when implementing AI solutions. But if you view AI in the same way, it’s essentially saying: ‘There aren’t enough bad books out there, we need to create more.'»
More human work, not less?
According to the AI consultant, that’s not the purpose of AI. They explain, «I don’t see AI generating brilliant ideas for creative authors right now.» However, what AI excels at is quickly producing a first draft based on an author’s idea. They question, «Does this mean fewer authors or more?»
The consultant’s optimism stems from witnessing AI create additional human work at companies they have worked with. For example, a landscaping firm utilized ChatGPT to create personalized services for existing customers. At a pension provider with 350,000 scheme members, AI saved significant time by scanning and analyzing millions of documents for spousal support agreements. While this may seem like work that would traditionally be done by a law firm, the consultant argues that without AI, it would likely not have been done at all due to the high cost of manual labor.
The cost of starting a digital business has also decreased significantly, the consultant adds. By using AI to manage website organization, workflow, marketing, and employment contracts, the consultant believes that more small start-ups could emerge due to the lower cost of failure.
Such a positive outlook may not resonate with audio producer Christian Allen, who has lost significant work to AI in the past year. He expresses concern about the potential of AI to take over certain jobs, citing the example of losing a radio client to an AI-generated advert that was indistinguishable from human work but significantly cheaper.
Oxford’s Labour economist Fabian Stephany challenges the dystopian narrative surrounding AI, stating that it is rare for a new technology to entirely replace an entire profession. However, concerns remain, particularly for individuals like Allen who see AI encroaching on their work in audio production.
While some experts believe that AI can be a valuable tool in many occupations, the key lies in finding the right balance between leveraging technology’s capabilities and complementing human strengths.
As discussions around the impact of AI continue, there are calls for the government to play a more active role in guiding employers and employees on adapting to technological changes. It is crucial to learn from past mistakes and ensure that workers are protected in an evolving job market.
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