printFreelancers’ Professional Activities under the Influence of Artificial Intelligence
Strebkov D.O.
Cand. Sci. (Sociol.), Senior Researcher at the Laboratory of Economic and Sociological Studies; Assoc. Prof. of the Department of Economic Sociology, HSE University, Moscow, Russia strebkov@hse.ru
Support from the Basic Research Program of the National Research University Higher School of Economics is gratefully acknowledged
Strebkov D.O. Freelancers’ Professional Activities under the Influence of Artificial Intelligence. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya [Sociological Studies]. 2026. No 2. P. 35-47
The article analyzes the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the professional activities of Russian-speaking freelancers engaged in creative and intellectual fields. Based on data from online surveys conducted in 2024 and 2025 on the platform Freelance.ru, the research reveals the dynamics of AI usage, the primary tasks assigned to neural networks, and the advantages and limitations of their application. In particular, it was shown that over the past year, the proportion of people using AI to solve professional problems has grown significantly, and assessments of its capabilities have become more positive. Particular attention is paid to the key skills necessary for effective collaboration with AI, such as formulating prompts, assessing the quality of results, and minimizing potential errors. The study considers both the positive aspects of using neural networks and the challenges it presents, including quality instability and ethical issues associated with technology use. In conclusion, the perspectives on the transformation of professional employment and the influence of AI on the labor market structure are discussed.
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