Examining Advanced Technologies in the Creative Industries: Metadata and Documentation, 2024-2025

The influence of advanced technologies on work continues to expand rapidly across global industries, generating widespread policy debates. This research aimed to examine how advanced technologies are influencing work in the UK creative industries. How technologies such as artificial intelligence and generative AI are shaping the work experiences of individuals working in the creative industries has been underexplored. This knowledge gap is important to address because the creative industries are a major source of employment and make a significant contribution to GDP. The creative industries also generate significant social and cultural impact by contributing to community cohesion, public health and social inclusion.

The data was collected through semi-structured interviews with individuals working in the creative industries and stakeholder representatives. The data highlighted a wide range of views, perspectives and experiences relating to the adoption of advanced technologies in the creative industries. The potential advantages of incorporating advanced technologies into work practices were discussed by participants. These advantages included for example, the time-savings technologies may yield, how advanced technologies can improve accessibility and the job creation possibilities in tech-orientated roles. However, the participants stressed the key challenges individuals working in the creative industries face because of advanced technologies. These included for example, the threat of job losses across creative industry sub-sectors and the implications for intellectual property and privacy.

Importantly, the participants highlighted how understanding the impact of advanced technologies on the creative industries requires careful consideration of the complex socio-economic and political context in which the creative industries operate. The participants discussed the impact and implications of COVID and economic conditions on individuals working in the creative industries, along with other challenges relating to diversity and inclusion, skill shortages and contract work.