The AI revolution has arrived, and a 22-year-old copywriter is feeling its impact. Sharanya Battacharya, who previously worked as a ghostwriter and copywriter for a creative solutions agency while pursuing her degree, used to receive a steady stream of SEO-optimized articles each week, earning just over $240 a month. However, everything changed when ChatGPT entered the scene. By late 2022, Battacharya's workload drastically decreased, leaving her with only one or two writing assignments per month. She noticed that companies who used to rely on her writing began turning to AI instead. Although these companies provided "no explanation" for the sudden decrease in work, Battacharya suspects that the introduction of ChatGPT was an effort to cut costs. "The reduction in my workload has been extremely challenging, not just for me, but for my family as well, " shared the student from Kolkata, India, in an interview with SWNS. "I can now only earn about 10% of what I used to make. " This income supported both Battacharya and her mother, Bandana, who sells sarees. As the money flow slowed down, they had to make significant lifestyle adjustments, cutting back on expenses and indulgences like eating out. "We have had to closely monitor our food consumption and limit our outings to once every couple of months, " explained Battacharya, a postgraduate biologic science student at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research.

"We need to prioritize essential needs like food and bills to ensure our basic living. " Now, Battacharya's future is uncertain as she faces potential unemployment in an intensely competitive job market for copywriters. "This is how I support myself while studying. It devastated me to receive less and less work, " she shared. "I have been feeling anxious, lost, and even experiencing panic attacks. The past few months have been extremely challenging for me. " Battacharya called on companies to consider the consequences of mass job cuts, emphasizing the significant difference between human-generated work and AI-generated content. "There are many talented copywriters, not just in India, but worldwide, who are impacted by this, " she noted. She expressed hope for a future where humans can integrate AI with their copywriting skills, resulting in better overall outcomes. Battacharya's concerns are not unique, as this month, employees at Adobe expressed worries about potential job losses due to AI-driven design tools. Their concerns align with a June report from McKinsey, which predicted a significant transformation in the job market, particularly affecting "higher-wage knowledge workers, " as artificial intelligence becomes more prevalent.