It has been raining for days now, and I am bored. Walking is out of the question, so I go to Reddit, X, marketing forums, Hacker News, and it looks like people are complaining more than ever. The Moaning is through the roof. Is it really that bad?

Is it possible that freelancing went down the drain in the past 12 months?

It feels like the golden age of freelancing is fading fast. Once upon a time, platforms like Upwork (anyone remembers Elance?) were bustling with opportunities, and freelancers could pick and choose projects that matched their skills and passions. Now? It’s a ghost town out there. At least when it comes down to the number of available jobs.

Yes, Upwork is not the only place where you can go freelancing, but it is a good way to see the state of it.

The number of available jobs is dwindling. Companies are tightening their budgets and relying more on AI to handle basic tasks. Why hire a freelancer for graphic design when you can get an AI to whip up something decent in seconds? Decent? Yesterday I tested a new Ai service called Readdy, and I got a landing page in 5 minutes that looks like a $1,000 job (5 years ago).

It’s like watching a slow-motion train wreck.

And let’s talk about competition. There are more freelancers than ever before, all vying for the same few scraps of work (dear sir I can do this for $5, plz give me job). It’s a race to the bottom, with people underbidding each other just to get a foot in the door. It’s demoralizing to see skilled professionals (and spammers) slashing their rates just to survive in this cutthroat environment.

AI is revolutionizing industries (writing jobs are so 2017), but it’s also leaving many freelancers in the dust. Basic needs are being covered, companies are ditching human talent for algorithms. As a client I feel great that I do not have to pay $40 for an article. But it is not just about paying. It is waiting, it is finding a good writer, it is about getting what you asked for. AI can do that in seconds.

But what about creativity and the human touch? Oh please, businesses are willing to overlook that for a quick fix.

The outlook is grim. We might not see a comeback for freelancers for years. You should seek out traditional jobs or entirely different careers if your freelancing career is in the gutters. At least for now.

You can thank me later.