In the U.S., high-earning creators are being pushed towards AI

In the United States, a study conducted among 2,000 creative professionals links high income to pressure to adopt AI. Meanwhile, a large majority calls for preserving the place of human content and clarifying the use of automated tools.

Human content is considered premium and transparency on AI is favored

77% of American creators surveyed believe that content created by humans is becoming a premium offering in the age of AI, and 78% deem a clear disclosure of AI usage essential to maintain trust. Gracie Schram reports that creators want human creativity to remain central. The perceived value of works also relies on audience trust, while the American public remains concerned about AI. Henrik Olsson anticipates that the advancement of these tools will encourage artists to double down on creativity rather than see their art replaced.

Pressure and AI adoption rise with income

Higher incomes are associated with increased pressure to adopt AI tools. This pressure rises with income level: 64% of creators and artists earning six figures report strong or very strong pressure, compared to 19% among those with the lowest incomes. This dynamic is reflected in practices: 44% of respondents earning between $50,000 and $100,000 and 45% earning over $100,000 say they use content or music entirely generated by AI, compared to 23% among those earning less than $5,000.

High industry expectations fuel the race for production

Gracie Schram observes that high-income creators face greater expectations regarding production and distribution. She describes these profiles as early adopters with better access to tools. Some publish multiple videos per day across different platforms, a pace that fuels a distribution dilemma and intensifies the pressure to produce more. She finally emphasizes a strong demand to remain relevant among top creators.

Tools employed: accelerated editing, A/B testing, and storyboards

Gracie Schram indicates that AI is frequently used to speed up workflows, particularly in editing and A/B testing of concepts. Creators may also use it to develop storyboards that do not appear in the final product. Henrik Olsson explains that he relies on AI for scripting and editing to produce his content for social media.

Reputation at stake: risk depends on usage and perception

Some creators fear reputational damage if platforms classify their work as AI-generated when they use these tools. Victoria Bachan believes that the risk of negative reactions varies based on usage, and it increases when AI is used to produce a lot of content or in a way perceived as inauthentic by the audience. She refers to a "social contract" with subscribers, citing the example of not delegating the creation of a recipe to AI, and mentions agreements made with AI tools when they align with themes like technology or financial education.

Methodology: 2,000 professionals surveyed from March to April

Sapio Research conducted the survey among 2,000 professional music artists and content creators based in the United States. Responses were collected between March and April for Epidemic Sound, a Swedish company specializing in music and sound.