Everyone keeps chanting the same tired line: “Don’t worry, just upskill.”
But let’s cut the fluff.
A model cannot upskill into becoming an AI prompt. A daily-wage lightman doesn’t magically transform into a generative video engineer. And the thousand jobs behind a single photoshoot or ad film? Gone. Not tomorrow. Now.
AI hasn’t just dented the creative economy — it’s bulldozed it, replaced it, and turned entire supply chains into nostalgic memories. And while twitter (sorry, X) debates ethics, AI tools are already churning out “perfect” models, flawless lighting, and blockbuster-level scenes — without a single human on set.
This isn’t the future of work. This is the funeral.
1. Models: Replaced by AI Avatars That Don’t Age, Don’t Eat, Don’t Complain
Once upon a time, brands paid lakhs to models. Now? A prompt spits out a “flawless, ethnically ambiguous face” that sells better than any human could. Models are no longer competing with each other — they’re competing with algorithms.
2. Photographers: From ‘Creators of Magic’ to ‘Obsolete Middlemen’
The studio, the lens, the perfect lighting rig — all replaced by MidJourney or Stable Diffusion in 30 seconds. Why pay ₹50,000 for a fashion shoot when AI delivers 50 images in 5 minutes?
3. Lightmen & Daily Wagers: The Forgotten Collateral Damage
No glamour, no hashtags, no LinkedIn posts about “reskilling.” Just lost daily wages. When there’s no physical shoot, there’s no crew. And this is where AI’s impact hits the hardest — the invisible workers with no Plan B.
4. Aerial Shoots: helicopters → Drones → AI Deathblow
Remember when bollywood bragged about renting helicopters for aerial car crashes? Then drones slashed the cost. Now, AI video gen can do it in ultra-HD, cheaper than the drone operator’s lunch. Entire supply chains — pilots, riggers, camera crews — erased with one tool update.
5. Editors & VFX Artists: One ‘Upskill’ Away from Unemployment
Yes, they can “learn” AI tools. But here’s the savage truth: once they do, so can their client. The middleman problem isn’t solved — it’s automated.
6. Production Houses: The Next Dinosaurs
Why would a brand hire a 50-member crew when one creative director with a paid AI subscription can deliver an entire campaign? Agencies won’t just shrink — many will evaporate.
7. The Domino Effect Nobody’s Talking About
car rentals for shoots. Canteen contractors. makeup artists. Spot boys. Even cab drivers ferrying the crew. Once the shoot dies, the entire economy orbiting it collapses.
Closing Punch
AI isn’t politely asking for space in the creative economy. It’s walking in, firing half the staff, and locking the door. The advice to “upskill” sounds comforting, but here’s the savage truth: not everyone can.
Some jobs aren’t evolving. They’re extinct.
And the sooner we accept that, the better we can face the only question that matters now:
When AI comes for your job — do you have a Plan B, or just a false sense of security?
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