The same technology that was supposed to put graphic designers out of business is now keeping them busier than ever. That’s because illustrations generated by artificial intelligence are commonly littered with unclean lines and nonsensical text. That has spawned a new category of work as a result of AI’s incompetence. Writers are asked to spruce up ChatGPT’s writing, artists are being hired to patch up wonky AI images, and software developers are tasked with fixing buggy apps coded by AI. While a recent MIT report found that AI has displaced around 14% of workers, it also found that 95% of businesses with AI pilots are getting zero return on their investment. While fixing AI’s mistakes isn’t their ideal line of work, many freelancers say it’s what helps pay the bills. Some of the flaws are easier to correct: AI’s overuse of em dashes, even in places where other punctuation would make more sense, or its clear bias toward words like “embark,” “deep dive” and “delve.” Because AI doesn’t answer questions as thoroughly as a human would, many writers have to do their own research on the topic at hand. One thing is for sure: AI may increase productivity, but it can never fully replace human beings.
