81% of Creatives Think AI Will Benefit Their Work in New Study, but Regulation Remains Majority Concern

CANNES – A new study on the use of artificial intelligence in the arts found that 81% of creatives believe AI will benefit their work, but a majority 71% agreed that regulation of the new technology is a primary concern.

The study, titled “AI Takes Center Stage: The Real-Time Impact of AI in Creative Media & Marketing,” polled 500 creative professionals and was presented Thursday at Cannes Lions by United Talent Agency‘s research and strategy division, UTA IQ.

AI continued to be a major topic at this year’s Cannes Lions advertising fest after it made its debut at the 2023 edition of the ad world’s biggest gathering.

After crunching the numbers to help shed light on Hollywood creatives’ adoption of AI, UTA found the majority of those polled regularly use the technology and have come to think positively about its future, marking a departure from initial concerns surrounding its inception last year. 

The agency’s study showed that entertainment and marketing creatives see it as a way  to “enhance” rather than “replace” human creativity. It noted that the findings challenge the idea that creatives are largely opposed to AI.

“We are at a profound turning point in AI’s adoption in marketing and entertainment, moving from fear and resistance to curiosity, excitement and cautious optimism,” the report stated. 

Joe Kessler, Global Head of UTA IQ, said in a statement that the resistance-to-utilization pipeline between art and technology is nothing new.

“There has always been fear and uncertainty around new technology,” Kessler said. “Painters worried they would be replaced by photography, movies by theater, TV by movies. Instead, new art forms were born. Human creativity has always found a way, and this survey shows today’s creators are continuing that long tradition of molding technology to their advantage.”

The executive added: “From automating rote tasks to helping explore near-infinite variations on an idea, AI can help creators explore the boundaries of what’s possible and maximize our most precious commodity as humans – our time.”

Key takeaways from the “AI Takes Center Stage” study include:

• 81% think AI will make more things possible in their work.
• 73% think AI will elevate content.
• 71% are either excited about AI or ‘AI-curious.’
• 70% have used AI, and roughly half do so at least weekly.
• 69% believe AI will be the most impactful technology of their lifetime.
• The 30% who say they never use AI at work are five times more likely to say they remain doubtful of AI’s value and impact.
• 88% find tasks easier with the use of AI.
• 84% are acting on new ideas thanks to the help of AI.
• 75% say they are creating higher-quality work by using AI.
• The top three most common uses of AI for work today are generation of ideas (61%), enhancing images and audio (54%) and improving productivity (52%)

The study said that “while advertising and marketing execs were slightly more bullish (~5% margin) than their entertainment counterparts, the findings were largely consistent across both groups.” 

The down side is concern over challenges like protecting creatives’ rights, and 71% of respondents supported calls for increased regulation of AI.

Those surveyed anticipated the growth of AI will also “prompt a pendulum swing back to valuing uniquely human creativity and experiences, such as random inspiration, IRL experiences and nostalgia for analog mediums,” the report said. 

The study surveyed professionals in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom that are directly involved in content creation across entertainment, advertising and marketing.