"Just use ChatGPT and give me half price," demands rise
"Is AI replacing creative fields too?" anxiety grows
It has been reported that freelance writers in Japan are finding it increasingly difficult to maintain their income as more clients demand wage cuts citing the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) such as ChatGPT. As the number of consultation cases received by individual labor unions rises, there are growing calls within Japan for urgent measures to guarantee income for creative activities, which are difficult to quantify numerically.
On the 21st, Asahi Shimbun reported a case where a woman in her 40s working as a freelance writer applied for consultation with the Freelance Writers' Labor Union after receiving a request from a client saying, "Since you will be using ChatGPT anyway, please cut your fee in half."
The woman had contracted to write articles for a medical institution’s website. At the time of the contract, the condition was 2 yen per character, covering the entire writing process including preliminary research, structuring the article, writing, and headline creation. However, after the contract, the client demanded that the price be changed from the original 2 yen per character to 1 yen. The client pressured her by saying, "You can now easily write some sentences using ChatGPT, right?" and "There are people willing to do it for a cheaper price than you."
According to Asahi, the freelancer reluctantly accepted the wage cut, saying, "I don’t want to break the good relationship so far." However, the client reportedly requested her to take on another project after this one and again demanded a lower rate.
The Japan Writers’ Union, a labor union for freelance writers, responded after receiving this consultation. Although there had been a sense of crisis among writers that "work might decrease due to AI," they had not anticipated that fees would be cut instead of work opportunities.
The Writers’ Union referred this case to the Fair Trade Commission for judgment. The Fair Trade Commission explained, "If prices are decided solely based on the client’s circumstances without sufficient consultation, it may constitute 'price gouging.'"
Experts also judged that this case might violate the Subcontract Act or the Antimonopoly Act. Hiroshi Nakazato, a professor at Tokyo Keizai University, said, "Even if one formally agrees because they do not want to break a good relationship, if prior consultation is insufficient, it could be illegal."
He added, "It is still uncertain how AI will affect workers in the future. When faced with such demands, one should insist on fair compensation and seek consultation through official channels such as the Fair Trade Commission. At the same time, individuals should equip themselves with legal knowledge to protect themselves."
Tetsuya Fujimoto, Secretary-General of the Fair Trade Commission, stated at a press conference on the 5th of last month, when asked about AI-related responses, "We recognize that there are potentially problematic areas and will keep a close watch."
The union urged in Asahi, "AI could push freelancers, who are already difficult to protect under the law, into an even weaker position. Freelancers should be careful not to accept unfair demands due to lack of information."
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