How AI Is Changing The Skills That Companies Need From Freelancers

The acceptance and use of new technologies continue to change the skills that employers want members of the freelance workforce to provide.

The latest example is AI, and the related expertise, skills, and services that corporate executives want to take advantage of for their organizations.

It’s a growing trend that’s drawn the attention of resume services, recruiters, and companies that help connect employers with independent contractors.

The Rise Of New Roles

“We’ve noticed…the rise of roles that didn’t exist a decade ago, directly stemming from AI’s integration into everyday business processes,” Stephen Greet, cofounder of BeamJobs, a resume consulting company, said via email.

“For example, there’s a burgeoning demand for freelancers who can be AI ethicists and human-AI interaction designers. These roles require a deep understanding of technology and human behavior, highlighting a shift towards a more interdisciplinary approach to problem-solving,” he observed.

The Most In-Demand Skills

Upwork saw a 70% increase in year-over-year growth in the fourth quarter of 2023 for the demand by employers for ten AI-related skills. The skills include machine learning and data-related visualization, extraction, and engineering. That’s according to a press release about results of the company’s survey of trends in hiring freelance workers from its platform.

One skill, generative AI modeling, which creates content based on new patterns and trends, was not even a freelancing category on Upwork’s platform in 2022, even though the company saw some requests for that expertise. The new category was created last year, and became the fastest-growing skill in its data science and analystics category in 2023. according to the company.

Automating Routine Tasks

AI skills (data science and machine learning) are highly sought after because AI can automate routine tasks, analyze large data sets, and provide predictive insights. This means that freelancers with these skills can help companies make informed business decisions and automate certain business processes. Travis Lindemoen founder of hiring platform Enjoy Mondays, said via email.

Giving Freelancers A Home Field Advantage

Companies are not the only ones who can benefit from AI. So can the freelancers who they hire.

“From website design to software development to data consulting it’s quickly become table-stakes for contractors to deliver with AI tools,” Malcolm Frank, CEO of Talent Genius, said via email.

“What’s equally interesting is [how] AI is now giving contractors a home field advantage, as individuals are able to adopt and leverage these powerful tools more quickly than corporations. As such, contractors are able to move more quickly, and produce more for less, than internal resources can,” he noted.

“Today, many executives expect freelancers to incorporate AI into their workflow. As a result, skills that were once highly sought after have become basic requirements. This shift has increased corporate focus on three things: interpretation, problem-solving, and the speed of deliverables,” Aaron White CEO of Outbound, a website marketing firm, said in an email message.