Is AI Coming for Creative Jobs? My Honest Take

AI has taken the world by storm over the past few years. Since the release of ChatGPT in 2022, people have been talking non-stop about how large language models and other AI tools are transforming industries. And with all this talk, creatives—writers, designers, developers, marketers—have begun to worry. Is AI coming for our jobs?

Here’s what I think.

Where AI Stands Right Now

Despite all the progress AI has made, I still strongly believe that creatives don’t have much to worry about—at least not in the immediate future. The truth is, AI still depends heavily on human input. Sure, it can accelerate workflows, generate ideas, or assist with repetitive tasks, but it still lacks autonomy. If anything, what we’re experiencing now is not replacement but augmentation.

Let’s say you’re a developer. You get a complex client project. Right now, tools like V0, Cursor, Lovable, Claude, Bolt, and even ChatGPT are great at helping with small-scale or routine development tasks. But once a project becomes complex, those tools fall short. They start producing code with bugs, they lose context across files, and eventually, you spend more time fixing and instructing the AI than it would’ve taken you to do it yourself.

So, while these tools speed things up and allow you to take on more projects, they can’t work in isolation. They’re only as good as the instructions you give them. And to give good instructions, you need to already understand what you’re doing. That’s the catch.

A lot of people glamorize “vibe coding” or AI-assisted creativity without experience. But the truth is: if you don’t know what you’re doing, it’s almost impossible to get consistently good results. You still need foundational knowledge. AI is not replacing expertise—it’s multiplying the value of it.

Impact on Employees: The Winners and Losers

Now, let’s talk about the workforce.

I believe the people who’ll be most affected by AI in the workplace fall into two categories: entry-level workers and senior-level staff. That might sound strange, but here’s why.

Let’s take designers as an example. A typical design team has entry-level designers, juniors, mid-levels, and seniors. When companies start trying to cut costs and “adopt AI,” many will lean toward keeping mid-level staff who are versatile, adaptable, and cheaper than senior staff. Seniors who don’t keep up with AI tools could be seen as “too expensive for what they bring to the table.” If you’re a senior designer who’s great at your craft but doesn’t engage with modern workflows—like AI-assisted design—you’re at risk.

Senior professionals who do adapt and lead AI integration will still be highly valuable—perhaps more than ever—as mentors, strategists, and quality controllers in hybrid human-AI workflows.

At the same time, entry-level and junior staff are also at risk. Why? Because companies will expect them to come in with more skills than ever. The bar has been raised. Entry-level is no longer “learn on the job.” You’re now expected to come in with AI literacy, a broader skill set, and the ability to work independently. You’ll need to wear multiple hats to even get noticed.

This shift is already happening. Job descriptions are starting to include “AI familiarity” or “prompt engineering experience” as a plus. And freelance platforms like Fiverr are already creating categories around AI work.

Why Freelancers Might Win

Freelancers could actually come out ahead—if they expand their skill set.

Freelancers are naturally built to take on diverse tasks. If you’re a UI designer who knows Figma but also knows how to use Spline or Rive for animation, and can generate assets using tools like MidJourney, DALL·E, or Kling AI—you’re already more attractive to clients than a traditional designer.

If you also know how to turn those assets into interactive components or even have basic coding knowledge, then you’re a powerhouse. You can deliver an entire product experience by yourself.

That’s the key: versatility backed by quality. The more you can do, the better your chances in an AI-enhanced future.

What Companies Will Do

This is how I think companies will approach AI adoption.

Big companies like Meta, Amazon, Shopify, etc., won’t immediately replace the bulk of their employees with AI. They’ll likely move toward creating internal AI tools to help their staff work faster and more efficiently.

Take Shopify, for example. According to reports, Shopify’s CEO recently made it clear that every employee must embrace AI or risk being left behind. AI use is now part of job performance. They even suggest that hiring should be limited to roles where AI cannot do the job. That’s a massive shift.

Fiverr’s CEO reportedly sent out a newsletter warning that AI is changing everything, and employees who can’t master their craft risk becoming irrelevant.

Now, smaller companies are a different story. They’re more likely to lean into AI to cut costs because they don’t have the budget or workforce to scale the way big companies do. If a small company realizes it can automate design copy or eliminate junior dev roles using AI, it probably will.

Agencies too will become more bespoke or boutique—lean teams, broader skill requirements. The expectation will be that one person can do what three people used to do.

What’s not clear yet is whether this means companies will give employees more time to do this broader scope of work—or if it becomes a pressure cooker environment where burnout increases. Time will tell.

Blending Roles and Breaking Silos

In the near future, I don’t think creatives will be allowed to have hard silos anymore.

A designer can’t say “I don’t do code.” A developer can’t say “I don’t do design.” A content writer can’t say “I don’t do SEO.” Everyone will be expected to wear multiple hats. That’s where the workforce is heading.

It’s no longer about being just a specialist. It’s about being a specialist who knows how to integrate.

For example:

• A designer must know how to use dev hand-off tools and maybe even basic front-end code.

• A developer must know how to design and structure user flows.

• A writer must understand AI SEO best practices and how to properly prompt AI tools to generate content that’s on-brand, optimized, and engaging

• A marketer should understand how to use prompt engineering to generate content or visuals quickly for A/B testing.

• A customer support agent might need to manage AI chatbots, train them using FAQs, and escalate only high-context queries.

• A video editor should understand scripting, SEO titling, and how to prompt AI voiceovers or captions for faster production.

• A project manager should know how to use AI to generate Gantt charts, analyze team output, and automate reporting across tools like Notion or Jira.

The best professionals will be those who know how to combine their craft with AI tools to create better, faster, smarter outcomes.

What Creatives Should Do Right Now

If you’re a creative—designer, dev, writer, strategist—the takeaway is this:

Don’t fear AI. Embrace it.

The people who will thrive in the next few years are not the ones who complain about AI. They’re the ones who choose their AI stack, master it, and blend it with their own skills to become unstoppable.

Choose tools that align with your field and help you expand your skill set:

For Developers:

• GitHub Copilot: AI pair programmer that suggests code snippets and entire functions in real-time.

• Cursor: An AI-powered code editor designed for rapid development.

• V0.dev: Transforms design prompts into production-ready React code.

• Codeium: Offers AI-assisted code completion for various programming languages.

• Replit Ghostwriter: Provides AI-driven code suggestions within the Replit IDE.

For Designers:

• Figma Sites: Design, prototype, and publish responsive websites directly within Figma.

• Relume: AI-powered tool to generate sitemaps, wireframes, and style guides swiftly.

• Spline: Create interactive 3D designs for web experiences.

• Rive: Design and animate interactive vector graphics for apps and games.

• Webflow: Visual web development platform enabling designers to build responsive websites without coding.

• Framer: Design and publish interactive websites with animations and responsive layouts.

• Midjourney: Generates high-quality AI images and design assets

For Writers and Content Creators:

• ChatGPT: AI language model capable of generating human-like text based on prompts.

• Jasper: AI writing assistant tailored for marketing copy, blogs, and more.

• Copy.ai: Generates marketing copy, product descriptions, and social media content.

• GrammarlyGO: Enhances writing with AI-powered suggestions for clarity and tone.

• Writesonic: Creates SEO-optimized content, including articles and ads.

For Marketers and Strategists:

• Surfer SEO: Optimizes content to rank higher in search engine results.

• MarketMuse: AI-driven content strategy and optimization platform.

• Ocoya: Automates social media content creation and scheduling.

• AdCreative.ai: Generates high-performing ad creatives using AI.

• CopyMonkey: Creates optimized Amazon listings with AI assistance.

For Video Editors and Content Creators:

• Runway ML: Offers AI tools for video editing, including background removal and motion tracking.

• Descript: All-in-one audio and video editing tool with transcription and screen recording.

• Pictory: Transforms long-form content into short videos suitable for social media.

• Synthesia: Creates AI-generated videos with avatars and voiceovers.

• Kling AI: Generates realistic AI videos from text or images, offering advanced editing features.

• ElevenLab: AI text to speech and AI voice generator

For Product Managers:

• Notion AI: Enhances note-taking and project management with AI-generated insights.

• ClickUp AI: Provides AI-powered task management and productivity tools.

• Linear AI Assist: Streamlines issue tracking and project planning with AI suggestions.

• Ayanza: Combines team collaboration with AI-driven goal setting and tracking.

For Educators and Trainers:

• Curipod: Creates interactive presentations and lessons using AI.

• MagicSchool AI: Generates educational content and resources tailored to curricula.

• Diffit: Simplifies complex texts to suit different reading levels.

• Eduaide.AI: Assists in lesson planning and resource creation with AI.

• SlidesAI: Transforms text into engaging presentation slides automatically.

Master those tools. Use them to speed up your process. Use them to do more work. Use them to build your portfolio faster, take on more clients, or scale your freelancing business.

Because here’s the truth: companies will always do what saves them money and delivers results. If AI helps them reduce headcount, they won’t hesitate. If you can offer your skills in a way that’s cost-effective, scalable, and high-quality, you’ll always have work.

Final Thoughts

AI is not the end of creative work—it’s the beginning of a new creative era. The only real risk is staying stuck in the old way of doing things. So get familiar. Stay sharp. Be flexible. And build yourself into the kind of creative professional that companies, clients, and projects can’t do without.

Because AI is not just coming for your job.

It’s coming to see what you’re made of.