News
In Brief
- AI agent evolution — Uma advances from companion to active work agent.
- Enhanced work management — New features streamline interviews, meetings and job matching.
- Business and freelancer impact — Both groups benefit from faster hiring, smarter insights and more earning opportunities.
Upwork Inc. announced significant upgrades to its AI capabilities on July 23, as part of its semi-annual product release. The company's AI assistant, Uma, has evolved from a work companion to an "always-on work agent" that can now conduct interviews and perform tasks on behalf of users.
According to a company statement, Uma is already powering a majority of new client job posts and has increased successful matches for high-value projects by 8%. The enhancements aim to accelerate hiring processes and improve collaboration between businesses and freelancers with the introduction of over 75 new features and product improvements.
The announcement comes as Upwork continues to position itself as a platform that combines human talent with AI capabilities to meet the growing demand for specialized skills in the digital economy.
Impacted Audiences for Uma AI Enhancements
- Businesses seeking specialized talent for project-based work.
- Independent professionals across technology, creative and business domains.
- Hiring managers and procurement leaders managing talent acquisition.
AI Is Reshaping Talent Acquisition
AI is rapidly transforming how companies find, manage and deploy talent, breaking down traditional silos between recruitment and workforce management.
Upwork, a global freelance marketplace that has facilitated over $25 billion in economic opportunity, continues evolving its platform with AI capabilities. Today's update focuses on its Uma AI assistant, which according to industry reports reflects a broader trend of AI streamlining talent sourcing, screening and engagement.
More than a third of U.S. workers identify themselves as freelancers. Freelancers provide businesses with specialized talent they might only need in the short-term, as well as the flexibility to scale up and scale down according to business needs without the fixed cost of full-time employees.
Organizations increasingly recognize that talent acquisition and management must function as parts of a unified strategy. AI tools are taking over administrative tasks so recruiters can focus on strategic work like building talent pipelines and predicting workforce needs.
However, the field has come under scrutiny from regulators. New York City's Local Law 144 went into effect in 2023, requiring an independent bias audit of any hiring decision made with AI's involvement. Other states have consequently introduced legislation to require similar audit measures.
The laws are being introduced as a class action lawsuit against human capital management provider Workday makes its way through the courts over AI bias in its hiring tools.
"Work is being reshaped in real time as intelligent agents are becoming a more familiar and essential part of how work gets done."
- Dave Bottoms
General Manager and SVP of Product for the Upwork Marketplace
Uma AI Capabilities & Premium Plan Enhancements
Capability | Description
|
|---|---|
Instant interviews | Uma conducts interviews during proposal process, delivering structured summaries of responses. |
Video meetings | Integrated platform provides AI-generated summaries, transcripts and action items. |
Context-aware search | Offers suggestions based on client's active job posts and search history. |
Job posting assessment | Evaluates post strength and provides actionable improvement tips. |
Business Plus enhancements | Includes direct contracts for off-platform talent and AI-curated shortlisting. |
Freelancer Plus updates | Provides real-time proposal insights and customizable job alerts. |
Upwork Background
Upwork was formed in 2015 from the merger of two pioneering freelance platforms: Elance (founded in 1998 by MIT graduate Beerud Sheth and Wall Street veteran Srini Anumolu) and oDesk (founded in 2003 by Odysseas Tsatalos and Stratis Karamanlakis). The merger was announced in 2013, creating Elance-oDesk, which was then rebranded as Upwork in 2015 to become the unified freelance marketplace platform.
Talent Marketplace
The company provides an online platform connecting businesses with independent professionals across fields such as software development, design, writing and marketing. Its platform includes project management tools, time tracking and payment processing. Upwork asserts that its AI-driven matching system helps clients efficiently identify suitable freelancers. The service also offers enterprise solutions for organizations with larger or recurring talent needs.
Market Position
Upwork operates within the online talent marketplace segment, serving a broad range of customers from small businesses to large enterprises. The company is notable in the gig economy for facilitating flexible, project-based work. Its primary users are hiring managers, procurement leaders and business owners seeking specialized or short-term expertise. Upwork faces competition from other freelance platforms and staffing firms.
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