OpenAI and Upwork study traces how AI shifts freelance demand and project size

Work at the Frontier: AI’s effect on freelance work

A joint OpenAI and Upwork study finds freelance service demand shifting: AI-related projects bundle more varied skills and carry higher budgets and work hours. Of 63 job categories analyzed, 43 showed a pattern where activities with more common ChatGPT use lost Upwork share while less common ones gained. ChatGPT usage alone did not explain the demand changes.

Why it matters: OpenAI and Upwork compare freelance demand with ChatGPT usage and find AI-related projects carry bigger budgets and more work hours.