Welcome to Monday Morning Freelance - a weekly thought on freelancing and life. Goes great with a cup of coffee. ☕️ 

Don’t listen to the bots - you’re still a valuable resource.

As a freelance writer and content strategist, I spend part of my days loitering in online communities and masterminds - you know, those spaces where we can all take part in large-scale group therapy while trading job opps.

Recently, I’ve noticed an uptick in the level of panic about the rise in AI.

Sure, ChatGPT is nothing new at this point, and nearly every writer I know uses AI in their process to some extent. And with every cool new product that pops up, six more freelancers are ringing alarm bells at how “the future of paid writing is bleak!” and “the machines are coming!”

Okay, okay. Take a breath. I get it.

The uncertainty is unsettling. The idea that clients can just click a button and create what takes us perfectionists hours to hone can make you wonder if all the effort is pointless.

Don't lose faith in the uniquely human skills of communication and connection. 

No matter how advanced technology gets, I’m not convinced that it can truly replace the ability to speak, write, and think deeply as a feeling, flawed, compassionate person.

Think about it - we are communal. We thrive with unique, novel, and authentic conversations with real people.

Sure, ChatGPT can help me brainstorm some ideas, but at the end of the day, I’ll take a deep conversation with a buddy over a beer or laugh with my wife over dinner over some rote automated response on a screen.

And look at Gen Z - they’re so sick of digital that they're going analog left and right.

I’ll be the first to admit we don't know exactly how the future of content will unfold now that AI is slowly creeping into every part of the creative process.

But we do know human nature doesn't change overnight. 

People still yearn for storytelling that stirs the spirit, leadership that inspires, and speeches that give voice to shared struggles. That need for meaning and community will not disappear.

So, while the robots crunch numbers and analyze data, double down on the abilities that make you human.

👉 Keep practicing the art of articulating complex ideas simply.

👉 Work on crafting narratives and arguments that resonate with people's deepest hopes and fears.

👉 Sharpen your skills to persuade, educate, and enlighten - no matter the medium.

It’s my humble opinion that these fundamental skills will become increasingly valuable in this next era of technology.

Of course, you’ll need to complement them by learning new tools and platforms. But at its core, compelling communication still requires empathy, vulnerability, and wit.

In this mad dash to keep up, don't lose sight of the human touch. Let machines handle the metrics. You focus on being powerfully and authentically human wherever you can. It’s precisely that skill that will give you an edge in the future.

The robots may one day write code better than we can...but we’ll always tell the human story better. And that, my friend, will be in high demand.

Put It In Action 🚀 

1. Audit your skills - Take stock of your innate human strengths like creativity, empathy, and communication. These give you an edge over AI.

2. Complement, don't compete - Learn to use new tech to complement these strengths rather than worry about competing with them.

3. Practice relentlessly - Double down on storytelling, connecting, and persuading. These classic skills will be in demand.

Your Monday Morning Freelancer Maxim:

Machines will calculate, but humans will motivate.