Importantly, Upwork’s AI initiatives address the skills gap and training in the market. The company’s research found that 76% of freelancers are confident in their ability to learn new AI tools, and Upwork is actively channeling this enthusiasm. Through its AI Education Library and Academy, freelancers can upskill in areas like prompt engineering, building AI chatbots, and using popular AI APIs. This not only makes talent more marketable (which benefits Upwork via more engagements) but also reassures clients that the freelancers they hire are adapting to the latest technologies. In effect, Upwork is cultivating an AI-ready workforce on its marketplace. A senior designer using Upwork’s AI resources summed it up: “Upwork is meeting the moment and providing the latest tools and resources I need to enhance my workflows, boost productivity, and work with incredible speed and efficiency.”
The transformative impact is evident in real-world projects facilitated by Upwork. Brown shared examples like a global social media platform hiring Upwork experts to ensure the quality of LLM training data, a pharma giant engaging an Upwork-based AI agency to build healthcare AI solutions, and a law firm using freelancers to create a custom GPT for their knowledge base.
