Consider a trade if you’re a gig worker looking to avoid getting replaced by artificial intelligence.
Many current gig economy jobs are at risk of automation as AI usage expands, Tim Fung, founder and CEO of Airtasker, said in an interview with Business Insider.
Uber, Lyft, and DoorDash are already making some deliveries using self-driving vehicles. Fung estimated that human ride-hailing drivers could be eliminated within three to five years.
AI is also likely to replace many data science, coding, and engineering workers in the near term, Fung said.
But gig work focused on offline tasks, such as building fences, is “going to be the last thing that gets automated,” Fung said.
Doing more of that work could be good for people, too, he said.
“I actually think that we will all be more satisfied if we are going out and doing the arts, the crafts, and the trades, versus doing more computer jobs,” Fung said.
Airtasker, which Fung founded in Australia and entered the US in 2021, is a marketplace that’s more like Airbnb than Uber, Fung said. People who need a task completed can post details of the work to Airtasker. Users then receive offers from prospective contractors that they can review and accept.
Building a brand in gig work
On Airtasker, workers and those hiring them on the app can also negotiate prices and details of gig work before reaching a deal.
Many other gig apps, by contrast, serve workers a potential job and payout, which they then accept or reject.
On the Airtasker app, users can post tasks that need to be done and receive offers from gig workers. Many of the jobs aren’t as straightforward as delivering food or giving someone a ride. They’re more physical, such as painting or gardening, Fung said.
“You can say, ‘Well, to do this job, I need to get paid $120, because it’s actually going to take me two hours, and I’ve got to drive half an hour to get there,'” Fung said.
Many ride-hailing and delivery gig workers have told Business Insider that they’re discouraged by falling earnings and more competition for work. As a result, many of them have said they’re looking for alternative ways to make money, such as getting a traditional 9-to-5 job.
Fung said his company represents another model that stands to resonate with weary gig workers: One that more directly connects people who need work done with gig workers themselves.
Gig workers on Airtasker can highlight their specific skills and experience, rather than merely agreeing to do a task at a set rate, Fung said. One Airtasker user has completed thousands of jobs assembling Ikea furniture, Fung said, a fact that’s reflected in reviews and ratings on his profile on the app.
“You can see I’m the best communicator, the most punctual, and the most skilled at these kinds of jobs,” Fung said.
Building a brand around a specific type of work will become increasingly common among gig workers, Fung said, especially given the growing competition to claim work through gig apps.
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