Creators Foundation

Creators in the age of Ai

Research

Creators in the Age of AI

– The Impact of Generative AI on the Livelihood and Creative Expression of Artists

Dear creator, we need your voice

Help us gather valuable insights by filling out a survey about your art, creative workflow, and the stress factors you face in this evolving digital age.

The survey

1. Introduction

Cultural diversity and artistic expression are fundamental pillars of society. While the financial contribution of artists and creators may not match that of larger industries, their social and cultural impact is profound.

Art challenges thought patterns, encourages reflection, and deconstructs mindsets, shaping cultural and intellectual discourse.

In the digital age, social media has amplified this influence by providing new platforms for creative expression and community engagement. However, the rise of Generative AI (GenAI) presents both opportunities and challenges for creators, particularly concerning economic stability, intellectual property rights, and creative motivation. This paper explores how artists and freelance creators perceive and experience these shifts in their professional landscape.

Generative AI (GenAI) refers to a type of artificial intelligence designed to create new content, such as text, images, music, and code.

“Creators” refers to individuals who professionally or independently produce work in photography, film, performing arts, writing, design, visual arts, or experience-based creative fields.

2. Significance of the Study

This study contributes to academic research on the intersection of technology and the arts by providing empirical dataon how Generative AI and social media affect creators’ livelihoods, career trajectories, and mental well-being.

Beyond academic contributions, the research aims to inform discussions on:

• Policy development related to AI and creative labor.

• Digital ethics regarding AI-generated content and intellectual property.

• Strategies to support human creators in an increasingly platform-dependent economy.

By understanding creators’ perspectives, this study seeks to provide actionable insights for artists, industry stakeholders, policymakers, and advocacy groups navigating this technological transformation.

3. Research Objectives

The primary objective of this study is to investigate how artists and freelance creators perceive the impact of generative AI on their work, economic stability, and creative autonomy. Specifically, the research seeks to:

  • Assess Economic viability: Are artists and creative professionals able to sustain themselves financially through their work?
  • Understand Competition & Copyright concerns: To what extent are creators worried about AI-generated content competing with their work, copyright infringement, and the valuation of human-made art?
  • Explore future career paths & adaptation: How do creators envision their professional evolution in response to AI? Are they considering career shifts?
  • Emotional & psychological impact: How does generative AI affect artistic originality, motivation, and mental well-being?
  • Determine necessary support mechanisms:What do artists need in terms of income security, legal protection, and resources to continue creating in an AI-driven world?

jungle of ai

The creators in the age of AI

Share your perspective

How does the development of GenAI affect you as a creator? Does the jungle of tools and platforms help you to be more creative, more productive, more satisfied with your creative work?

What is your take?

Sources & further research

  1. Khosrowi, D. (2024) Engaging the many-hands problem of generative-AI outputs: a framework for attributing credit. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s43681-024-00440-7
  2. Hacker, Philipp et al. (2025). Introduction to the Foundations and Regulation of Generative AI. Retrieved from https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5137750
  3. Lee, Edward (2024). AI and the Sound of Music. Retrieved from https://www.yalelawjournal.org/forum/ai-and-the-sound-of-music
  4. Kulveit, Jan et al. (2025) Gradual Disempowerment: Systemic Existential Risks from Incremental AI Development. Retrieved from https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.16946
  5. Lutes, Brent (2025) Identifying the Economic Implications of Artificial Intelligence for Copyright Policy. Retrieved from https://www.copyright.gov/economic-research/economic-implications-of-ai/Identifying-the-Economic-Implications-of-Artificial-Intelligence-for-Copyright-Policy-FINAL.pdf
  6. Zhou, Eric & Lee, Dokyun (2024) Generative artificial intelligence, human creativity, and art. Retrieved from https://academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/article/3/3/pgae052/7618478
  7. Tong Xiao, Jingbo Zhu (2025) Foundations of Large Language Models. Retrieved from https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.09223