Artists are already losing their jobs to AI
Throughout January 2024, the Society of Authors (a UK trade union of professional writers, illustrators and literary translators) conducted a survey among its 12,500 members and other authors, receiving nearly 800 responses about respondents' experiences with generative artificial intelligence (AI) systems, and their views and concerns about the future impact on creative careers.
The results demonstrate not only the profound uncertainty about the future role of generative AI in the profession, but also the impact it is already having on careers and livelihoods. While some of the respondents are starting to use generative AI as a tool in their work by choice, others – specifically, some translators and illustrators – are being asked to use it by publishers and commissioning organizations.
- About 1 in 5 respondents (22%) say they have used generative AI in their work.
- This includes 1 in 10 illustrators (12%), a third of translators (37%), a fifth of fiction writers (20%) and about a quarter of nonfiction writers (25%).
- Around 3 in 10 illustrators and writers (31%) said they used generative AI to brainstorm.
- Around 1 in 10 translators (8%) and a smaller proportion of illustrators (5%) said they used generative AI in their work because their publisher or commissioned organisation asked them to.
Concerns about the impact of generative AI on creative careers include groups of authors who are already experiencing job loss, or devaluation of their work, as a direct result of new technologies.
- A quarter of illustrators (26%) and more than a third of translators (36%) have already lost work due to generative AI.
- More than a third of illustrators (37%) and more than 4 in 10 translators (43%) say their work revenue has declined due to generative AI.
- Nearly two-thirds of fiction writers (65%) and more than half of nonfiction writers (57%) believe generative AI will negatively impact future revenue from their creative work, rising to more than three-quarters for translators (77%) and illustrators (78%).
- More than 8 in 10 respondents (86%) are concerned that their style, voice, and image will be mimicked or reproduced in generative AI results.
- More than 8 in 10 respondents (86%) are concerned that the use of generative AI will devalue creative work done by humans.
- Some respondents are concerned that generative AI could replace human creators, particularly in areas such as writing and content creation. They are concerned that this will lead to a decline in quality and diversity in the creative industries.
- Even the most optimistic respondents about the possibility of using generative AI systems ethically (e.g., as tools to improve efficiency and accessibility) reiterated that ethical concerns are one of the main reasons for avoiding the use of generative AI systems at this stage.
There is an almost unanimous consensus among respondents on the need to regulate generative AI: ensuring that consent is sought from copyright holders before using their work to develop systems, that credits and compensation are granted, and that the results of generative AI systems are labeled as such.
- Almost all respondents (94%) want to be given credit and compensated, and to be asked for their consent (95%) when their work is used to develop generative AI systems or to enable the production of AI-generated outcomes.
- Almost all respondents (95%) call for the government to introduce safeguards and regulation to ensure compliance with these consent, compensation and transparency measures.
- In a clear message to publishers and other organizations about the importance of transparency in all uses of AI software, the overwhelming majority of respondents (more than 9 in 10) believe that publishers and other organizations should prominently indicate when generative AI has been used to help with audio. video, covers and illustrations, decision-making, editing and translation.
- Respondents also expressed ethical concerns about generative AI systems, with many highlighting biases and inaccuracies in AI-generated content, concerns about copyright infringement, misuse of personal data, and exploitation of other creators' works without consent or remuneration.
- Nearly all respondents (97%) believe that consumers deserve transparency and should know when generative AI systems have generated all or part of what they read, watch, or hear.
