The AI Takeover: Transforming the Creator Economy as We Know It
The year 2022. Jason M. Allen entered the Colorado State Fair annual art competition under the “Digital Arts/Digitally-Manipulated Photography” category. His creation Théâtre D’opéra Spatial went on to win the competition, beating 18 other art pieces. But here’s the catch. His art piece was created using an AI software called Midjourney, where an image can be produced by entering a few sets of keywords or text. Although Allen did not break any rules, his use of AI sparked a debate about human vs AI and the authenticity of art undermined by artificially intelligent imagery. This scenario left many artists fuming and fearful that advanced artificial intelligence systems would take over their jobs.
And this is just one example. These AI tools are transforming the world as we know it, and the creator economy is no exception. From editing software to content-generating tools, hundreds of software and AI tools are easily available online, free, and paid. They have become an irreplaceable and crucial medium for content creation for many creators. In fact, with the rise of AI tools and platforms, creators are facing a new reality: embrace the technology or risk being left behind. We have already seen the massive and alarming implications of the open-source AI tool ‘ChatGPT”, which can generate highly advanced text with a simple prompt. This revolutionary tool is doing everything from clearing bar exams to writing school essays and generating poems.
AI is a powerful tool for content creators, especially lone wolves who have to wear too many hats. Using the tools and software, they can automate mundane tasks, leaving creators to focus on their craft and increase efficiency. Let’s check out some of the benefits of AI in detail.
- Create content easily: From writing meta descriptions, social media captions, website copies, blog outlines or posts, or even creating a full-fledged online course, AI can do it all for you and more efficiently. You can generate content within seconds with just a few clicks and prompts. Although some of it can be generic and robotic, it can still help you accumulate ideas and save time on research.
- Get new ideas: It is normal for creators to run out of fresh and exciting ideas. At this point, AI tools can help significantly; all you need to do is use an AI tool and give a simple input — Give 10 blog ideas on the creator economy, and you get 10 new titles within seconds; it is that easy.
- Creator burnout: According to ConvertKit’s 2022 State of the Creator Economy report, 61% of creators are facing burnout which can be quite severe. In 2019 Lily Singh announced a break from content creation, citing burnout as the reason. She spoke vehemently about the contact pressure of creating new content and maintaining an online presence that took a toll on her mental health. Like Singh, thousands of creators face burnout but can’t take breaks as their lives could depend on it. Although we believe that mental health trumps everything else, creators can still find solace in artificial intelligence software and tools that can reduce their burden and help in other aspects, such as overwork, repetitive tasks, content curation, scheduling, and so much more.
What AI can do to alleviate creative burnout are:
- Time management: AI tools can help create manage their time more effectively by automating mundane and repetitive tasks such as automated scheduling of social media posts, providing reminders, time tracking, responding to emails, and prioritizing tasks. This can help creators to focus on their creative work and increase efficiency.
- Content optimization: Many AI tools provide data analysis on audience behaviour and preferences, providing factual insights as to what type of content is performing well on which media platform and how it can be optimized to create engaging content for the targeted audience. Some tools also help with content ideation based on data analysis, keywords, and the latest trends, reducing the pressure to develop SEO-backed ideas. Many AI software and tools aid in repurposing content for various media platforms, thereby reducing the headache of creating content for all.
- Cost-effectiveness: AI tools can help content creators become more cost-effective by reducing the time and resources required for tasks such as market research, editing, proofreading, and even content creation. These tools eliminate the need for outsourcing these tasks, thereby saving time and money and ultimately increasing the profitability and cost-effectiveness of the creators.
- Improve team efficacy: There are AI tools that facilitate collaboration among team members, allowing for more efficient communication and project management. Using these tools ultimately lead to increased productivity, more efficient use of time, and better content creation. We at Spreadd also use tools that prove to be a lifesaver.
One can neither doubt nor escape the presence of AI tools in the creator economy. These tools are only improving the efficiency and productivity of creators. It also creates careers. Ask Brett Schickler, who authored a 30-page illustrated e-book for children, by giving a few prompts to ChatGPT. In just a few hours, the e-book was ready and up for sale on Amazon, and it sold copies! Hot on Schickler’s somewhat successful heels, 200 more e-books appeared on Amazon co-authored by ChatGPT.
Although, in retrospect, this can also be perceived as a threat to human creativity. As AI tools get more advanced, they may be able to create content indistinguishable from that created by human creators. This could lead to a future where AI-generated content dominates the market, leaving human creators struggling to compete. Art was just one example; we have robots replacing tasks usually done by humans, especially during the covid times. Now advanced AI systems can also do technical work like coding.
However, it is essential to note that AI is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Different creators have different needs and preferences, and AI may not be the right fit for everyone. Additionally, there is still a need for human creativity and ingenuity, which machines cannot replicate. Creativity is a human trait that requires out-of-the-box thinking, the ability to connect the random dots, and also come up with innovative solutions to problems. AI tools can do the analytical part better than humans. Still, empathy, emotional intelligence, and human intuition cannot be replicated, which is a pivotal part of any creative field.
Moreover, creativity is shaped and fueled by personal experiences, unique thinking, emotional reactions, and distinct memories, which AI systems cannot mimic. So one can argue that artificial intelligence will unlikely replace human creativity in the foreseeable future. Instead, AI is more likely to augment human creativity by providing new tools and insights to help creators enhance their work.
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