Are companies using AI as an excuse to lower starting salaries?

I just saw a Mid-Level Copywriter role listed for $55k. Two years ago, that same agency paid $75k for the role. The recruiter actually cited "efficiencies gained from AI tools" as the reason the band is lower. Are we letting ChatGPT permanently deflate our market value?

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Posting as :
works at
You are currently posting as works at

Have not heard of that. If salaries are down it’s because it’s been a seller’s market since 22/23.

Name and shame

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Yeah, AI momentum in a weakening economy is just bad combo for many people.

That's actually so crazy that they would even say that and admit to it, honestly. I think it's pretty clear that a lot of companies are augmenting their workforce with AI, but to outright say it is pretty wild. Are they forgetting that humans need to make an actual human wage?

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Yeah it’s the weirdest I’ve seen. AI is going to have significant impact in the workplace and it can even be a net positive for creatives but we shouldn’t start using that as a reason to reduce pay for employees

The way this was supposed to go was AI would free us up to focus on the thinking, strategy and ideas. That human part is still the most valuable part. AI was supposed to quickly iterate on our human ideas and then we curate and refine.

Clients and employers misunderstand AI’s role and because of that have a diminished appreciation of the human role. They’ve landed on AI producing “good enough” out of the box, so why do we need humans—we can cut cost.

It appears AI has really screwed us human workers over and it will only get worse as AI gets better and better at mimicking us.

smart

This is so well captured. Most companies are caught up in the trend without truly having a clear direction on how AI can help drive true value for their business. Interesting times ahead.

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Salaries are being pushed downward because of the lousy job market, so there's that. In a lot of organizations AI has become the all-purpose excuse. People can do whatever they want to do, and blame it on AI. If you asked someone what the efficiencies were they gained from AI tools they'd probably just stumble around and dispense a lot of corporate gibberish.

smart

Agree with the thoughts here. If companies do not step back and start thinking about how to empower their employees in the age of AI to help the company stay relevant the entire fad might just blow up in their faces.

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That’s almost a 30% pay reduction. I hope that employee on has to work 70% of the week since that company would need them just sitting a desk and staring at the wall for that extra time right?

Who is up for a 4 say work week?

Exactly! 4 day work week won’t be a bad idea.

OP: Share a redacted screenshot or it didn’t happen.

"AI efficiencies" is the new "budget constraints" — a negotiation tactic dressed up as market logic. If AI makes copywriters 30% more productive, that value goes to the company, not back to you in the form of a pay cut. A $55K mid-level role in 2025 isn't a market correction — it's a test to see what candidates will accept. The counter-move: don't apply without knowing competing offers. If agencies are posting $75K elsewhere for the same role, that's your leverage. Are you actually seeing lower offers, or just lower posted ranges?

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