Oliver Fiegel, a 47-year-old photographer from Munich, recently encountered a troubling image in a German Sunday newspaper that exemplified the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on his profession. The image, which featured a boy chasing a football, contained several inaccuracies, revealing how generative AI is replacing traditional artistry. With his client base dwindling, Fiegel has struggled to make a living as a photographer and is now contemplating a career change, possibly opening a natural wine bar. Similarly, Karl Kerner, a 64-year-old translator of nonfiction scientific texts, feels the effects of AI have decimated his profession. Once thriving, his work has plummeted due to AI-driven translation tools.

Kerner, now working in agriculture consultancy, laments the loss of his professional identity but is finding ways to adapt by using technology to streamline remaining translation tasks. In contrast, some workers have embraced AI positively. Alexander Calvey, a self-employed GP in Surrey, reported that using an AI scribe improved his efficiency, allowing him to focus more on patient care and see more patients per hour. Paul, a 44-year-old researcher from Stockholm, values AI tools like ChatGPT for literature summarization and brainstorming but also worries about user privacy due to corporate control of these technologies. While the UK Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, advocates for integrating AI into the economy, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) calls for urgent measures to protect creative industry workers facing potential job losses. Jenny Turner, a 33-year-old freelance illustrator, has seen a sudden drop in demand for her commissioned work, attributing it to the rise of AI image generation tools offering cheaper alternatives. This shift has prompted her to reconsider her career path, as she fears for the job security of many in her industry.