Former Professionals Find Work at AI Companies That Displaced Their Jobs

After college, she'd struggled to make a living as a freelance journalist, gone to grad school, then pivoted to what she hoped would be a more stable career in content marketing — only to find AI had automated much of the work.

Over the last few years, a new type of AI company has emerged, like Mercor and Surge AI, staffed by and large by former white-collar workers, including former lawyers, scientists, copywriters, and screenwriters.

Katya clicked and was taken to a page for another company, called Mercor, where she was instructed to interview on-camera with an AI named Melvin.

This company was called Crossing Hurdles, and it promised copywriting jobs starting at $45 per hour.