OpenAI and Upwork Study: AI Increases Freelance Project Task Diversity by 45%, Raises Budgets
A joint study by OpenAI and Upwork reveals that AI-related freelance projects involve more complex task combinations, higher fixed-price budgets, and longer working hours.
OpenAI and Upwork, a US-based online marketplace for freelancers, published a joint study on November 10, 2026, analyzing the impact of AI on the freelance market. The research finds that as AI usage grows, the structure of freelance demand is shifting significantly: many activities common in ChatGPT (such as writing) have lost share on Upwork, while less common activities have gained share. Of the 63 work categories analyzed, 43 followed this pattern.
Notably, AI is not simply replacing human work but changing how work is "packaged." The study shows that between early 2023 and late 2025, the mix of tasks in AI-related postings became 45% more diverse—equivalent to an increase from about 15 equally common tasks to about 21. Clients are increasingly asking freelancers to combine AI capabilities with other skills, such as requesting AI-generated video, editing, and motion graphics in a single project brief.
Furthermore, AI-related projects exhibit larger budgets and involve more work hours. While posted hourly rates were similar for AI-related and other work, AI-related projects had larger fixed-price budgets and involved more hours. This suggests that AI may be expanding the scope of projects rather than just accelerating individual tasks.
The study relies on Upwork marketplace data (through April 2026) and ChatGPT usage data (Jan 2025–Jun 2026). OpenAI notes that these findings do not point to a simple substitution story, but rather indicate that AI is shifting both what clients seek from freelancers and how they assemble projects.