Others are so paranoid that someone might think they've used AI that they make her edit her work so that it's extra clear that it's human. A report from Upwork, a freelance marketplace, found that skilled knowledge freelance workers made $1.5 trillion in 2024. Moreover, a significant portion of the side hustle work AI is creating does not sound particularly enjoyable — checking the AI's homework is a tedious endeavor, and the technology makes errors. Fernandes tells clients that AI tools are why he charges them less than what a regular consultant would. One person I spoke to for this story excitedly told me about how she's used ChatGPT to create and write a Substack.