Tool or takeover? How AI will impact the creator economy

Recently, there has been tons of chatter across the web about artificial intelligence (AI). Creators must stay on top of the latest trends, and with AI becoming so ubiquitous, it’s a tool they can’t ignore. 

On the other hand, if creators use AI, will their content be less authentic? The “death of artistry” is a narrative that has been around since “Video Killed The Radio Star.” With AI art winning fine art competitions, and students using AI language tools to write essays, it’s no secret that machines are infiltrating human imagination.

From AI-powered recommendation engines on social media to content generation tools, machines are transforming how people create and consume content. Audiences can quickly discover new videos they may enjoy. In turn, creators can churn out high-quality content at faster rates.

Michael Krigsman, a YouTuber with over 21,200 subscribers and the publisher behind CXOTalk, a business and tech podcast and web series, told Passionfruit he believes the use of AI is going to “explode.”

“As the tools improve over time, you’ll need less sophistication to use them efficiently. The question for creators is, ‘How can they use their creativity to harness these tools to serve them in the best way possible?’” Krigsman said.

However, only some are enjoying the rise of AI. Many artists, for example, have spoken out against art produced by artificial intelligence on Twitter, accusing the software of stealing and failing to credit artists’ work to produce images. 

More alarmingly, ChatGPT, an AI-powered language processing tool that interacts with users through natural “conversations,” reportedly sent “unhinged” messages to users in February 2023. People have reported that the AI tool, recently purchased by Microsoft, lied, insulted, and even “gaslit” them. In addition, the current version of ChatGPT only uses data through September 2021 and cannot interpret any data after that date, raising questions about its ability to adapt to evolving trends. Passionfruit reached out to Chat GPT for comment via email and did not hear back in time for the publication of this article. 

These issues centered around AI have many asking, “Will AI kill the creator economy? Or will it help it thrive?”

Adapting AI to creator needs 

Creators are nimble by nature. They’re constantly repurposing content or tools to suit their needs and audiences’ preferences better. This technological prowess may allow the creator economy to find new ways to leverage AI.

Content Production

One of the most significant promises of AI is how it can enhance the content production lifecycle. Creators can use AI text generators, like ChatGPT or Jasper, for storyboarding, developing scripts, writing tweets, or translating content to different languages.

Like ChatGPT, Jasper is an AI conversational tool that generates human-like texts. Monthly memberships start at $82 per month, with business accounts starting at $499 per month. ChatGPT has more flexible payment options, with users paying “tokens” per word count. There is a free version, but the servers often run over capacity, making the tool difficult to use.

Both platforms use “question-answering chatbots” that generate relevant content based on questions or “prompts.” The more detailed their prompts are, the better responses users will receive.

“Learning to use ChatGPT Prompts is like learning to search on Google using Boolean operators. The better at searching you are, the better your results will be. At the end of the day, it all comes back to human creativity. Video avatars and scripts aren’t coming out of magic through the machine. It’s human beings who are doing it,” Krigsman said.

AI also may help accelerate photo, video, and audio editing processes. Creators can use artificial intelligence for background removal, color correction, image stabilization, or voice synchronization. They can also “train” the editing software to automatically detect and fix mistakes, such as poor lighting or blurry shots. 

Synthesia is an AI creation platform that helps creators make videos in 120 languages. Personal memberships start at $30 per month. Lumen is another beginner-friendly AI video editing tool. Casual video enthusiasts can use Lumen for free, while individual plans start at $59 monthly.

AI-driven art generators and social media filters also caught fire in 2022, with websites and software such as DALL-E, Lensa, and MyHeritage becoming part of internet trends that have gained millions of views. 

Lightricks, the mobile software company behind apps like Facetune and Videoleap, also invested heavily in AI-generated offerings by launching an AI-driven text-to-image generator within its apps like Photoleap and Motionleap.

"Lightricks embraced machine learning—also known as AI—early in our product development to help simplify the photo editing process for users,” Zeev Farbman, CEO of Lightricks, told Passionfruit. “It provides automation to free creators and influencers to focus less on the mechanics of their craft and more on the art and engagement with their audiences.”

Algorithms and Analytics

AI-powered recommendation engines predict a user’s preferences by tracking data and behaviors like content viewed, clicks, and searches. Streaming providers, like Netflix, have been using recommendation engines for years. Now, creators can use similar tools to uncover valuable insights and analytics to get their content seen by new audiences.

Content production company Jellysmack, for example, caught many creators’ attention at VidCon 2022 due to their use of AI technology to produce better audience analytics and content strategy. According to its website, the company has over 204 billion captured views and over 647 million tagged and categorized videos. Using that data, Jellysmack’s AI technology optimizes and distributes videos for creators that consistently perform well. 

“Jellysmack’s proprietary AI technology not only helps us detect the most promising emerging creators, but also skyrockets creator growth and revenue through content optimization, A/B testing, retention analysis, thumbnail generation, and more,” Sean Atkins, president of Jellysmack, told Passionfruit.

Recombee is another AI-powered recommendation engine that uses over 100 machine-learning algorithms and AI to make personalized recommendations for returning and first-time viewers based on their behavior. Standard packages start at $99 per month. Coveo is another tool using machine learning algorithms to deliver relevant content to users. Monthly price plans vary and you can request a pricing quote on Coveo’s website. 

Audience Engagement

Creators can also use AI to better connect with and engage audiences. For example, they can use digital co-hosts to improve the storytelling experience.

Alex Herrity, co-founder of Anima, recently launched a new project called Onlybots. The blockchain-based collection of augmented reality (AR) companions uses AI to give the “bots” unique personalities and the ability to engage in conversations.

“Our foundational mission at Anima is to enable creators to make things in AR that are interactive. Onlybots was built to show creators what is possible using AR and AI. We’ve received many requests from creators asking how they can make their digital creations talk to them and use them to tell stories,” Alex explained.

Automation 

On the back end, creators can use AI tools to streamline tedious tasks like filing taxes, responding to emails, or connecting with brands. AiTax, for example, is a tax filing tool using AI and machine learning technology. Tools like this could potentially reduce the risk of human error and guarantee users will pay the lowest taxes legally possible.

“AI is not a threat to creators because nothing will replace the idea that audiences are watching a real person. However, it is a tool they must embrace or they will get left behind,” John Castro, chief executive officer at AiTax, told Passionfruit.

Email assistant tools, like Addy.ai, can help write messages faster than humans. Creators can draft their emails quickly and tailor the style and tone, including business-formal or friendly and casual. The Chrome extension for Addy.ai is completely free to use.

From a brand’s side, companies wanting to tap into the lucrative creator economy can use AI tools like Influencity to connect with creators. With the platform’s AI automation tools, businesses can easily streamline workflows to search for influencers, discover trending hashtags, capture audience metrics, and capture influencer analytics. Pricing starts at $168 for a basic membership.

Not only does AI free up more time for the creative process, but it allows creators to unplug.

“This allows them not to have to be available 24/7 to respond to things. They are developing something that can take the place of them being always on as a creator,” Herrity said.

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