AI Survey Author to Share Wide-Ranging Results at Jan. 28 Webinar
Nearly half of freelancers who participated in a recent survey on AI and the writing profession said the technology had resulted in reduced demand for their work.
But 21% of the same writers who self-identify as advanced AI users have seen demand increase.
The dichotomy is emblematic of findings detailed in “AI and the Writing Profession,” the first-ever large-scale report to detail professional writers’ use of and feelings about AI.
Josh Bernoff, the report’s coauthor and a noted business book author and collaborative writing expert, will share survey results relevant to independent nonfiction writers at an ASJA exclusive webinar on Wednesday, Jan. 28, at 1 p.m. Eastern time. ASJA Publications Chair Michelle Rafter will moderate the session, which will include a Q&A. Registration is free for ASJA members and $20 for nonmembers; sign up here.
Highlights from the “AI and the Writing Profession” Survey
More than 100 ASJA members took part in the survey, which was conducted last fall. Bernoff, proprietor of Bernoff.com, and New York ghostwriting agency Gotham Ghostwriters co-created the survey to collect meaningful data on how writers are using AI, and the full range of attitudes about the existential and practical issues that AI presents for the writing profession.
In all, 1,481 working writers participated in the survey, including 806 freelancers and writers working for agencies with 10 or fewer employees.
Four of ten freelancers surveyed reported that AI had reduced their income. But a quarter of advanced users reported higher incomes. About three out of four freelancers expect writing opportunities to decline in the future.
Other top level results:
- Across all writing professions, 61% use AI tools
- Among writers who use AI for the widest variety of tasks, 92% say it makes them more productive.
- Frequent AI users have on average $47,000 higher incomes than writers who don’t use it.
- AI-generated hallucinations concern 91% of writers
- AI has caused one in four writers to consider quitting
About Josh Bernoff
The bestselling author Josh Bernoff is an expert on how business books can propel thinkers to prominence. He has collaborated on more than 70 book projects which together have generated more than $20 million for their authors. Josh’s most recent book is Build a Better Business Book: How to Plan, Write, and Promote a Book That Matters (Amplify, 2023). As Daniel H. Pink wrote, “If you’re serious about writing a business book that matters, then look no further.”
Bernoff is also the creator of the Bernoff Book Coach, a chatbot aide for nonfiction writers.
Register for the webinar here.