Fiverr Wants Freelancers to Use AI – And Charge for It

Fiverr is betting big on artificial intelligence (AI), but not in the way you might expect. Instead of replacing freelancers, the gig marketplace wants to help them integrate AI into their work, and even get paid for it.

On Tuesday, Fiverr unveiled new AI-powered tools designed to help freelancers scale their work. The standout feature? A program that allows gig workers to train AI models on their past projects – whether it’s voiceover work, graphic design, or copywriting – and then sell AI-generated results to clients.

This move comes at a time when AI is shaking up the freelance economy, making it harder for workers to secure gigs. Fiverr’s CEO Micha Kaufman believes this initiative will help freelancers stay competitive.

“This is about making our freelancers irreplaceable, not obsolete,” Kaufman said in a statement.

But will freelancers embrace this shift, or will AI just add another layer of pressure to an already challenging industry?

How Fiverr’s AI Tools Work

The new program, called the Personal AI Creation Model, allows freelancers to:

• Train an AI model using their past work (e.g., illustrations, writing samples, or voiceovers).
• Set prices for AI-generated outputs.
• Offer clients a choice between AI-generated, human-created, or blended work.

For example, a graphic designer could let clients generate AI-powered designs based on their unique style, while a writer could train an AI to create marketing copy in their voice. Clients can purchase AI-generated work instantly or request custom modifications from the freelancer.

Notably, Fiverr assures freelancers that they retain ownership of their AI-generated work – a key concern in an era where AI models often scrape the internet for data without permission.

What’s the Catch?

There’s a cost to using Fiverr’s AI tools. The Personal AI Creation Model subscription is priced at $25 per month, which means freelancers must weigh whether the investment will pay off in extra sales.

Beyond that, Fiverr is also rolling out a Personal AI Assistant ($29 per month, or included with Fiverr’s Seller Plus Premium plan). This chatbot is designed to help freelancers manage customer inquiries, handle routine tasks, and even provide business insights.

The AI assistant analyzes a freelancer’s gigs, profile, and past client conversations to generate responses but freelancers can customize its behavior, deciding which topics should be handled by the assistant and which should be passed to them directly.

The Bigger Picture: Can Freelancers Keep Up?

Fiverr’s AI-powered push comes as generative AI disrupts the freelance industry. From AI-generated artwork to AI-written content, many traditional gigs are under pressure. A growing number of companies are choosing AI tools over human freelancers, making it harder for professionals to secure work.

A recent study found that AI-powered platforms like ChatGPT and Midjourney have led to increased competition, with fewer available gigs for human writers, designers, and developers. Another long-term study revealed that the trend of replacing freelancers with AI is only accelerating.

For many freelancers, this presents a tough choice:

• Adopt AI and try to stay competitive.
• Resist AI and risk falling behind.

Fiverr appears to recognize this challenge and is pitching its AI tools as a way for freelancers to monetize AI rather than be replaced by it. But the question remains – will this actually create more opportunities, or will it simply lead to more freelancers competing against their own AI clones?

A New Perk: Shares in Fiverr Stock

Beyond AI, Fiverr is introducing a new incentive for its top-performing freelancers – shares in the company itself.

Fiverr, which is publicly traded with a market cap of about $1.16 billion, has not yet disclosed how freelancers will qualify for this perk, how many shares will be distributed, or how often they’ll be awarded. However, the move suggests Fiverr is looking for ways to build loyalty among its best gig workers.

Is This the Future of Freelancing?

The gig economy has always been a tough space, but AI is making it even more unpredictable. Fiverr’s AI tools aim to help freelancers navigate this new reality, giving them more ways to sell their skills – even if AI does some of the heavy lifting.

However, there’s still plenty of uncertainty. Will clients prefer AI-generated work over human creativity? Will freelancers feel pressured to adopt AI just to stay competitive? And most importantly – will AI ultimately help freelancers earn more, or will it drive prices down even further?

For now, Fiverr is betting that AI and freelancers can coexist. But as AI technology continues to evolve, the balance between automation and human creativity will be something to watch closely.

Key Takeaways

Would you use AI to scale your freelance business, or do you think it’s a step toward replacing human creativity?