Creators + AI: It's complicated

It’s Wednesday!

Google is building a Pinterest-style visual inspiration tool for saving and organizing images. Think fashion ideas, home decor, the works.

TikTok is launching photo messaging for teens, even as their own employees worry about sextortion risks. Nothing says "responsible platform" like ignoring your safety team's concerns. 🤷‍♂️

Creators go all-in on AI — but not without caution

More than 80% of creators now use generative AI in their workflow, with nearly 39% using it throughout their entire process, according to new data from Wondercraft. From scripting YouTube videos to generating thumbnails and synthetic voiceovers, AI has become the creative co-pilot of 2025.

Video creators are leading the charge
54% of survey respondents identified as video creators, making them the biggest AI adopters. Unlike writers or illustrators, video creators often stack multiple AI tools. ChatGPT for scripts, Midjourney for thumbnails, ElevenLabs for voiceovers. It's an entire AI production suite.

AI helps creators do more with less
In today's uncertain economy, creators are using AI to streamline their output. It's not just about productivity. It's survival, says URLgenius CEO Brian Klais. When budgets shrink and competition grows, AI becomes essential infrastructure.

Surprise: Older creators are more AI-friendly than Gen Z
Here's a plot twist: creators under 25 are actually less likely to adopt AI than their older peers. The "digital native" generation seems hung up on cost barriers, trust issues, and concerns that AI threatens authentic creativity.

But the backlash is real
55% of consumers feel uneasy about AI-generated content. Some advertisers are getting cold feet too. Creators using AI for sensitive topics or news content face growing pressure to disclose their methods as misinformation fears mount.

AI is quietly becoming the creator economy's backbone. But transparency matters. The creators who win will be those who use AI ethically and openly, building trust while scaling their work.

From our partner: Storyblocks

Everything you need to create better video, faster than ever.

Storyblocks gives you unlimited downloads of premium stock video, music, templates, and more — all created by real artists and built to streamline your creative workflow.

Whether you're working on a client project or building content for your own channels, Storyblocks helps you create faster with a library that’s easy to search, royalty free, and always growing. No hidden fees, no confusing licenses — just high-quality assets that let you focus on what you do best: creating.

Get started creating with Storyblocks.

Ben Silverman's big creator bet

Hollywood veteran Ben Silverman is going all-in on the creator economy. Propagate Content, the firm he co-founded with Howard Owens, just acquired Lindsay Nead's Parker Management, a lifestyle-focused creator agency representing 85+ influencers with serious brand deals.

What's new:

• Parker joins Propagate as a standalone brand (not absorbed), keeping its 23-person mostly-remote team intact

• Propagate already owns creator management firms like Select and Artists First

• Parker's clients include Food Dolls, Angela Rose, and Kylie Katich. Many earning $1M+ annually

• The deal reportedly hit the eight-figure range

The strategy: Silverman's building what he calls "beachfront real estate" in digital. As younger audiences abandon traditional media for social platforms, Propagate wants to own the infrastructure powering branded creator content. "Eyeballs are migrating at speed," Silverman told The Hollywood Reporter.

The bigger picture: Traditional media companies are scrambling for new growth strategies. By acquiring high-performing influencer management firms, Propagate is betting on where tomorrow's IP and audience loyalty lives: TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram.

Silverman isn't just adapting to the creator economy. He's positioning himself to control it. With creator representation now in his portfolio, Propagate becomes one of the few Hollywood players that understands both network TV and algorithm-driven content.

Platform hits

• Substack has gained over 1 million paid subscribers since Trump's win, hitting 5 million total and turning cash flow positive in early 2025.

• Spotify's new episode play count feature is drawing criticism from smaller creators who worry it could hurt listener perception.

• MrBeast's reality show Beast Games on Amazon Prime has been renewed for two more seasons, with even bigger stunts on the way.

• YouTube will exclusively live stream an NFL game from Brazil on September 5, marking the platform's first global, free NFL broadcast and deepening its partnership with the league.

• TikTok has launched "AI Alive," a new feature that animates still photos into short videos using AI, available now through the Stories camera.

• Meta has added beat markers, new filters, and style-copy tools to its Edits app, continuing its rapid rollout of creative video editing features.

Extra reads

👉 This new mental health service targets burned-out content creators (Fast Company)

👉 Adobe’s identity crisis: Pro tools in a creator economy (Print Magazine)