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AI and the Creative Workforce

Researching the impacts of GenAI on creative freelancers

Crafting Responsive Assessments of AI & Tech-Impacted Futures (CREAATIF) is a 6-month research project led by the QM Centre for Creative Collaboration,  the Turing Institute and the Institute for the Future of Work. It is one of ten scoping projects funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), part of UKRI, under the Bridging Responsible AI Divides (BRAID) Programme.

This is a pivotal moment for creative workers, as GenAI disrupts many of the fundamental aspects of their livelihoods and shifts the way people will create and consume arts and culture.

Over the last 6 months, the QM Centre for Creative Collaboration (CCC) have been working with the Turing Institute and the Institute for the Future of Work to directly engage with creative workers and assess the impacts of generative AI on their fundamental rights and working conditions.

By bringing our established partnerships with arts unions and knowledge of the creative and cultural sectors to this research project, at the CCC we are putting the voices of creative workers at the heart of research and policy making that is shaping the future of the creative workforce.

CCC Director Dr Aoife Monks built partnerships with major arts unions including Equity, BECTU, Society of Authors and the Musicians' Union, securing their support and connecting our researchers with their members. All of these unions were already members of our Cultural Advocacy Fellowship Scheme which is designed to foster research and advocacy collaborations of this kind.

CCC Manager Alex Brown led the research team to design in person and online focus groups that gathered input and insights from over 50 creative workers recruited through the unions. A wider survey captured further insights from workers in music, broadcasting, film, literature and performance.

Highlights of CREAATIF

Crafting Responsive Assessments of AI & Tech-Impacted Futures

  • Focus on GenAI's impact on creative work: Understanding the specific challenges and opportunities GenAI presents for creative professionals.
  • Worker-centric approach: Empowering creative workers to shape the future of their industry through co-developed impact assessments.
  • Building on established frameworks: Leveraging existing frameworks like the Human Rights, Democracy, and the Rule of Law Assurance Framework for AI Systems (HUDERIA), and the Good Work Algorithmic Impact Assessment (GWAIA) to ensure responsible and ethical AI development.

To read more about the project and the wider research team, visit:
https://www.turing.ac.uk/research/research-projects/crafting-responsive-assessments-ai-tech-impacted-futures-creaatif

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