Facing Total Transformation: Uncertainty Looms as My Industry Nears Ubiquitous Change in the Coming Years

Navigating Change: Reflections on the Impact of AI in the eCommerce Industry

As I reflect on my career trajectory in the eCommerce arena, I find myself at a crossroads of uncertainty. Having been immersed in this industry since I was 14, my journey began with a role in sales back in 2015. Over the years, I climbed the ladder, eventually serving as the Director of Partnerships at my current agency. My experience spans various areas, including web development, design projects, and extensive SEO and marketing campaigns, where I’ve been involved in initiatives with budgets ranging from $20,000 to over $1 million.

However, the landscape of eCommerce is undergoing rapid transformation, primarily driven by artificial intelligence (AI). This shift is more pronounced than I ever anticipated. For instance, one of the agencies I previously collaborated with boasted a robust SEO team composed of 25 talented copywriters. Fast forward to today, and the team has dwindled to merely four, while the department has increased its billable revenue by $20,000 per month. This transformation illustrates how AI can now efficiently replace many entry-level writers, allowing senior staff to focus solely on refining AI-generated content that meets copyright standards.

It’s not just the writing roles being affected; the entire structure of development teams is also evolving. At another agency, the US development team was replaced by skilled developers from LATAM, who now leverage AI tools like ChatGPT to facilitate communication and streamline workflows using platforms such as Jira and Slack.

While I am not suggesting that the industry is on the brink of collapse, the changes are significant and hard to ignore. AI technologies are now capable of constructing websites from Figma designs and generating specific code to implement features like upsells without any need for a developer’s intervention. Meanwhile, Google’s advancements in AI and prompt-based search are steadily reshaping traditional SEO practices.

As I observe these developments, I find myself grappling with the future. Will AI render my current skill set obsolete? The next five years seem shrouded in uncertainty as automation continues to take center stage in our field. In response to this shifting landscape, I am pursuing my Project Management Professional (PMP) certification and contemplating a transition to a senior project management role in a different sector.

Undoubtedly, the current climate raises many questions and concerns about the future of work. While the evolution of AI presents challenges, it also opens doors to new opportunities. As I navigate this period of change, I remain hopeful about finding