AI Made the Work Faster — Should Freelancers Lower Their Prices?
A 30-second motion graphics video used to take three days. Today, with AI’s help, the same job might be done in one.
Which raises a question many freelancers and studio owners are wrestling with — one I’ve been unsure about myself:
If AI makes our work faster, should we lower our prices?
The answer isn’t a simple “yes” or “no”. Let’s think it through.
The factory analogy: new machine, new price?
Imagine a factory that replaces its old machines with faster, more advanced ones. Production speeds up and the cost per unit drops.
What happens to the selling price? It depends on what the factory sells:
- Commodities — screws or plastic bags, say. Every factory can buy the same machine, so competition pushes prices down. Factories that don’t follow lose out.
- Branded or specialised goods — a watch or custom furniture. The new machine doesn’t lower the price; it lets the factory make a better, more consistent product and deliver it faster.
Creative work is the same. The real question isn’t “has AI made my work faster?” — it’s “what is the client actually paying me for?”
What does the client pay for?
If the client pays for your time (RM per hour), then yes — when work gets faster, your price automatically drops. You end up earning less for becoming more efficient.
But most clients don’t actually want “hours”. They want results:
- A video that stops the scroll
- An ad that brings in customers
- Visuals that build trust in their brand
AI can speed up production. But AI doesn’t replace:
- Taste and judgement — choosing which of 20 AI-generated versions is the right one
- Understanding the client — the real problem, the audience, the message that must land
- Experience — knowing what works because you’ve done it hundreds of times
- Accountability — making sure the final result is accurate, safe and on time
That’s the most valuable part — and it doesn’t get cheaper just because the tools got faster.
So, lower your price or not?
There are several options, and you can combine them:
1. Keep the price, add more value
Use the time saved to give more: more variations, versions for every platform, or more thorough reviews. The client pays the same but gets more — and you become harder to replace.
2. Keep the price, deliver faster
Speed itself is valuable. Many clients will happily pay more for results in 48 hours instead of a week.
3. Lower prices for work that has genuinely become a commodity
Some work is getting easier for anyone to do — simple templates or basic captions, for example. For this kind of work, market prices will fall. Better to accept that reality and sell it as packages or at volume.
4. Switch from hourly to project or value pricing
This is the most important shift. When your price is based on outcome and scope rather than hours, your efficiency becomes your profit — not your loss.
5. Offer new services
AI opens up work that used to be too expensive for small clients — videos in multiple languages, AI voice over for drafts, or consistent monthly content. Turn these into new packages.
Don’t forget your real costs
Many forget that “faster” doesn’t mean “free”. With AI you still have:
- AI tool and software subscriptions (monthly)
- Time spent learning and testing new tools
- Reviewing and fixing AI output
- Equipment, internet and running costs
- Tax and savings for slow months
Set prices without counting all this and you may be busy — but not profitable.
Struggling to set prices? Use a calculator
I built Cukup Kira for exactly this problem — a pricing calculator for Malaysian freelancers and sellers. It helps you price based on your real costs, time and target income, then turns it straight into quotes and invoices.
Once you see the real numbers, deciding whether to lower, keep or raise your price becomes far clearer — no longer based on gut feel or what others charge.
Frequently asked questions
My client knows I use AI. Should I give a discount?
Not necessarily. Explain that you use AI to speed things up and offer more options — but the final result, ideas and quality are still your responsibility. Clients pay for results, not tools.
What if competitors offer very cheap prices using AI?
Don’t race to the bottom. Focus on what sets you apart: portfolio, industry understanding, relationships and real results. Clients who only want the cheapest price usually aren’t your best clients.
Should I tell clients I use AI?
Yes, honestly. Transparency builds trust — and on many projects, clients actually expect you to use the latest tools.
Conclusion
AI is the new machine in our factory. For commodity work, prices will fall. But for work that needs taste, strategy and experience, AI should raise your value — not lower your price.
If your team or organisation wants to learn to use AI in creative work and price with confidence, tell me what you need.