A few weeks ago, we had the chance to host a webinar with Paatch, a community that was born nearly four years ago with the idea of telling those who work alone that it's also possible to work together, and to bring people together around independent work. Every Thursday, in five cities across France, Paatch organizes in-person events to create connections between freelancers. Since last year, they’ve launched communities focused on generative AI, combining learning, monitoring, and mutual support.
"In my group chat with tech CEO friends, there's this betting pool for the first year that there is a one-person billion company. Which would have been unimaginable without AI and now will happen" - Sam Altman
Niels, CEO of Paatch, reminds us that today, generative AI makes it possible to trigger, strengthen, and extend the capabilities of a single person. The goal here isn’t to become an AI expert. Of course, large corporations need artificial intelligence specialists. But that doesn’t mean you become obsolete if you’re not one. The real question is how to use these tools to unlock your full potential and strengthen your value proposition with big companies, regardless of your profession.
The boom in freelancing is fueling the AI revolution. 86% of freelancers say they want to train in AI, and 60% of CAC 40 CIOs are looking for resources on these topics. Yet, we’re seeing a real disconnect: 73% of freelancers already use AI, compared to only 50% of employees. This gap is often due to restrictive internal policies, particularly to protect data. This is precisely the kind of gap you should turn to your advantage to strengthen your position with large corporations.
AI tools to stand out to large companies
AI as a right-hand… not as a competitor
Before we go any further, let’s remind ourselves that AI is only an assistant: it enhances your skills, speeds up your output, and stimulates your creativity. It’s not a replacement: AI can still “hallucinate,” meaning it can generate responses that sound convincing but are completely false or made up.
As Niels said during the webinar: “The goal isn’t to be an AI expert, but to know how to smartly integrate it into your daily routine to gain impact.”
Exactly that: using AI to do better what you already know how to do—whether it’s prospecting, pitching, or delivering products.
What matters is not the tech, but what you do with it.
Technologies that redefine the freelancer–corporate relationship
As we mentioned in our introduction, AI is profoundly transforming the way we work, and this is especially true for freelancers. You can therefore build your value proposition by integrating AI at every stage.
It allows you, for example, to better understand clients' needs: by analyzing RFPs, summarizing briefs, or even scoring opportunities.
But AI goes even further. It helps you personalize your messages at scale, speed up content creation, and formalize your deliverables using reusable templates tailored to each assignment. For some concrete examples of AI use cases, think of case studies (for your future clients) or even LinkedIn posts.
The result? You become more agile, more responsive, and more strategic in the face of increasingly demanding buyers.
The freelance AI toolkit to score points
Let’s lay out a concrete kit of tools to help you in your daily work.
Personalizing client outreach
Here, we’re talking about generative AIs—those that help you create content. Must-knows include: ChatGPT, Claude AI, and Mistral. These technologies are ideal for writing tailor-made messages, responding to RFPs, or creating highly targeted hooks.
Organization and client relationships
On the organization side, count on Dust AI, Notion AI, or even Fathom AI. The latter is a free tool that records, transcribes, and instantly summarizes your Zoom, Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams meetings. Perfect for staying focused on the conversation without missing a beat.
Creating deliverables
Thanks to Canva AI, Midjourney, Gamma AI for PowerPoint, or Sora, you can design quality visuals without spending the whole day on it. We’ve all spent hours on Photoshop or Canva for a simple presentation slide... Today, these tools save you precious time you can dedicate to higher-value tasks. These AIs don’t replace designers, but they allow you to have clean, clear, and usable visuals at any time.
With this toolkit, you can boost your potential and increase your productivity. Most of these AIs offer free versions that are more than enough to get started. If you feel the need, you can opt for premium versions, which usually cost between $40 and $100 per month depending on your usage. But again, there’s no need to buy right away: start by testing the free versions.
Every day, I use AI to write, brainstorm, prioritize my ideas. It’s not magic, but it’s like having a coworker who never has a deadline.
What his usage clearly shows is: you don’t need to master everything to get started. You need to test, adjust, and gradually integrate. And that’s often how you become stronger.
Winning strategies to position yourself with buyers using AI
Now that you’ve got a great AI toolkit and boosted your productivity, you might be wondering how to go further. How can you implement strategies to better position yourself with large corporations? We see three approaches for that.
Structure an “AI-native” offer
More and more, we’re seeing “AI-native” offers emerge. But what does that mean? It’s about integrating AI from the very beginning of your offer creation. Again, it’s all about saving time and boosting productivity. This method allows you to establish a solid foundation from the start: templates, quality output, clear offerings. But most importantly, it shows that you work with a level of rigor and standardization close to what large corporations expect. Here, AI becomes a strategic lever, not just an operational tool.
Adapt your communication to corporate codes
Today, AI is as scary as it is fascinating. So be transparent. During briefs, don’t hesitate to explain how you use AI to gain reliability, rigor, and efficiency. What big companies fear is a freelancer who relies entirely on AI. Clearly show where you use it, and highlight your human value. What matters is not the tech, it’s the impact it has: better ROI, shorter lead times, more accurate understanding of needs. Make sure this shows up in your RFP responses, portfolios, and pitches.
Reassure with human mastery
The idea here is to clarify the role of AI in your workflow without ever hiding your expertise. What matters is showing that you are in control, not fully automated. That AI supports you, but you’re the one at the helm. In short, you’re an augmented freelancer, not a replaced one.
To sum up, it’s not about becoming an AI expert. It’s about knowing how to use it in the right place, at the right time, to structure a strong offer, speak the language of large companies, and show that you’re ready to work at their level.
AI doesn’t do everything. But used wisely, it strengthens your positioning, lends credibility to your proposals, and helps you respond faster, clearer, and with more impact. And that’s often what makes the difference between a “promising candidate” and the “chosen provider.”
We once again thank Niels, who made this webinar possible, and we invite you to revisit it to dive deeper into the topic. As part of this partnership, you can also get 15% off all Paatch subscriptions, that’s the equivalent of one month free.
