What happens when AI and the creator economy collide? Does it empower individuals, or simply feed the platforms that profit from our attention?
Scroll through any major social network and you’ll notice the same imbalance: only a small fraction of users are genuine “creators”. Most people are silent consumers. They browse, like, perhaps comment, but rarely publish original content. Yet platforms live and die on fresh material. New posts are what keep you coming back, and without them the feed quickly goes stale.
That’s why social networks are embracing AI with such enthusiasm. For them, AI is a dream come true: it lowers the barrier to entry, giving anyone the ability to generate something out of nothing. Suddenly, the hesitant lurker who never dared to post a Reel is now sharing dozens. The cycle accelerates – more posts, more likes, more remixes, more scrolling. Engagement figures climb, and the machine keeps humming.
Fifteen years ago, most people weren’t “creators”. Today, nearly everyone is. We’re all productising ourselves in some way, which could be selling a service, a persona, or at the very least, our attention. Even those who aren’t monetising are still feeding the system with content. And with AI tools making creation faster and easier than ever, there are fewer excuses not to join in.
What will it be next year? Something like Gattaca? I don’t think we’re far away from it.
But here’s the catch: when the volume of content skyrockets, quality inevitably drops. If everyone can publish instantly, the pressure to meet a certain standard disappears. The floodgates open, and the platforms don’t mind, because for them, quantity matters more than quality.
So who really wins in this new creator economy? Not the average user, and not even the creators themselves. The real winners are the tech giants. They own the infrastructure, the algorithms, the distribution channels, the digital motorways we all travel on. And every new piece of AI‑generated content is another toll they collect.
AI may empower individuals in small ways, but at scale, it’s a wager placed squarely in big tech’s favour. And if it pays off, they’ll be the only ones cashing in.
That’s just my thoughts on AI and the creator economy, but feel free to form your own opinion.
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