"AI makes it cheaper, right?" - Is this happening in your country too?

The other day, I read an article written by someone working at a web design company, and I couldn't help but let out an "Oh no, this is..."

The article described the reality of their workplace like this:

What's happening in web design

The author, who works at a web design company, says they've been getting more inquiries like this lately:

"AI makes it cheaper, right?"

This phrase has clearly increased since ChatGPT became a hot topic. Just last week, a new client asked them to "create a website with AI," and when asked about the budget, they replied, "AI should make it possible for $10,000, right?" It was a project that would normally cost at least $100,000.

The author explains:

"AI is a useful tool, but deciding design direction, understanding the subtle nuances of each industry and product, and making adjustments—these are ultimately human jobs."

But the client doesn't understand. They insist, "I saw on YouTube that AI does everything." Apparently, they completely believed some famous influencer's video.

In reality, AI-related tools are evolving, and they do partially incorporate AI for logo generation, content creation, and even some design work. But what can truly be utilized is at most 30% of the total work. The remaining 70% is still human labor, painstakingly built up piece by piece.

What's even more troublesome is the innocent demand: "If it's made with AI, modifications should be free and easy, right?" Just because something is made with AI doesn't mean it doesn't need adjustments. In fact, adjusting AI's "seemingly good" output to match their intentions can sometimes be more work than building from scratch.

And the cycle of failure continues

One day, a client said, "Another company will do it with AI for half the price," and switched to them.

When the author looked at the site delivered by that company, it was amateur work—just AI-generated images and text plugged into templates. Six months later, traffic plummeted, and there was no SEO strategy whatsoever.

Eventually, that client came back, saying, "We want you to make something proper after all."

But the explanation had been given from the beginning. Why couldn't they simply believe it then?

The author concluded:

The industry is now clearly polarized. Companies that shout "AI! AI!" and provide low-price, low-quality services, and companies that use AI appropriately while valuing human skills and experience. And customers are also dividing into those who want "anything cheap" and those who "seek quality."

We often hear that AI will take human jobs, but what I actually feel on the ground is more anxiety about the value of work itself being diluted because of AI.

Is this happening in your industry too?

Reading this article, I thought:

This isn't just about web design.

What about the design industry? Writing and translation fields? Consulting? Marketing? Education and training?

The misconception that "AI is cheap" and "AI is easy."
The value of work being underestimated because expertise is invisible.
Realizing only after failure, but by then it's too late.

And above all, cases where not just clients, but even management becomes "AI believers".

I've had similar experiences in a different industry. When the CEO starts saying "With AI! Somehow with AI!", there's no escape. Professional opinions from the field are ignored, budgets and staff are cut, but in the end, it's the field that cleans up the mess. And you get blamed: "It should be possible with AI, so why can't you do it?"

Is the same thing happening in your country?

I want to ask:

Is this happening in your country too?

Clients misunderstanding that "AI is cheaper"
Management becoming "AI believers"
Seeing the cycle of people failing and coming back
Feeling anxious about the value of expertise being diluted

What's happening in Japan is probably also happening in America, Europe, other Asian countries, and South America, isn't it?

Despite different languages and cultures, isn't the misconception that "AI can handle it somehow" universal?

To be honest

Now that I've written this far, I've realized something.

What I really wanted to do with this article wasn't to raise a global issue or sound an alarm for the entire industry.

I simply wanted to confirm that somewhere on this planet Earth, there are other humans clutching their heads saying "the CEO keeps saying AI! AI!..." and feel reassured by that fact.

A universal struggle.

Despite different languages and cultures, surely at this very moment, someone is sighing after being told "AI makes it cheaper, right?"

It's a very human reason, but that's fine.

Is the same thing happening in your country?

If so, please let me know in the comments or on social media.
Just knowing "I'm not alone" makes me feel a little better.