A recently laid off worker said that she lost her job as a copywriter to ChatGPT, a popular artificial intelligence tool. And now, faced with little prospects, she’s been forced to accept a new position training AI to do her old job.
Emily Hanley (@emilyhanley69) posted the TikTok video elaborating on the dilemma. As of Monday afternoon, it had more than 46,400 views.
“I lost my job to AI. Then this happened,” she wrote via text overlay.
@emilyhanley69 Update: I didn’t get the job! #AI #work #copywriter ♬ original sound – emilyhanley
In the nearly three-minute video, Hanley said that it’s been extremely difficult to find gainful employment—a sentiment espoused by a number of job-seekers on social media. She explained, however, that she recently found an “exciting prospect,” as a content writer where she said she would get paid a “decent amount—or a livable wage.”
This new job, Hanley said, is a six-month contract position. But, she said that she started noticing issues with the role. For instance, “I can’t really figure out what they want me to write,” Hanley said.
Then it became clear.
“They want me to train AI to do my job,” Hanley said. “And I’m going to have to take it. I’m going to have to take it because I cannot afford my apartment.”
She continued: “I’m about to eat a can of garbanzo beans. I’m selling off my possessions. I’m in no place to turn down a job. No place.”
In essence, the job would require Hanley to teach an artificial intelligence system how to properly churn out useful copy—which could affect other copywriters.
Hanley said that this bothered her. “It’s literally going to take away the prospect [of] me finding a job in the future. But I don’t have a way out. There’s no choice for me,” she said.
A number of viewers said that companies going all-in on artificial intelligence writing solutions are being “short sighted.” Several commenters, for instance, said that they weren’t sold on the idea that ChatGPT, or AI, could effectively replace a human copywriter.
“I’m currently editing a presentation someone made with ChatGPT and it’s needing A LOT of corrections,” one user wrote.
“I just can’t see how AI replaces writers well,” another said. “It would give every company the same copy in a market basically. So short sighted.”
Others, meanwhile, expressed optimism that this could become a burgeoning new career path for Hanley.
“Embrace it. Market yourself as a AI consultant who trains AI to write,” one viewer said.
“The flip side is, your next set of jobs could literally be being a consultant for marketing firms on using AI in their practice,” another chimed in. “You’ve got this!”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Hanley via TikTok comment.