Navigating the Future: AI and the Creative Industries

The discussion, rich in insight and debate, explored how AI’s impact on creativity is being met with both apprehension and excitement and examined AI’s impact through four key themes: Concern, Consent, Credit and Compensation.

Our panel speakers were:

• David Smith – President, IADT / Member of Management Committee CFA
• Susan Kirby – CEO Screen Producers Ireland
• Eleanor McEvoy – Musician & Chair of IMRO
• Jess Majekodunmi – IMMA Board & MD Human Sciences Studio
• Dr Barry Scannell – Member of AI Advisory Council & Partner, William Fry LLP
• Aisling Murray – Founder & Director BETA Festival

Concern: The value of human creativity

The creative community remains divided on the role of AI in the arts. While it can generate music, images, and text at scale, many fear it could devalue human creativity. As David Smith noted, “AI without human influence has no imagination.”

Studies shared by Jess Majekodunmi suggest that while people may enjoy AI-generated works, their appreciation for them drops once they learn that a machine created them – evidence of our belief in the intrinsic value of human creativity.

Speakers also highlighted AI’s environmental footprint, its potential to reinforce social biases (contained in the source data) and the risk of removing humans from meaningful parts of the creative process – decreasing the intrinsic motivation and meaning that people derive from their work, particularly in the creative sector.

Consent: Protecting artists’ rights

Consent is a cornerstone of ethical AI development, particularly in the creative industries, where intellectual property is of paramount importance. Eleanor McEvoy highlighted artists’ frustration that their work is often used to train AI models without permission. Legal uncertainty remains, despite the introduction of new rules such as the EU AI Act, which allows creators to opt out of having their work used for AI training. Enforcing copyright is often prohibitively expensive for individual artists.

Barry Scannell likened today’s copyright challenges to early digital piracy – issues that took over a decade to resolve. Ironically, even major AI companies are now accusing each other of unauthorised data use.

Susan Kirby reflected that the creative industries representative bodies are now also heavily critical of the more recent developments in the EU in relation to copyright, and specifically AI guidelines. All contributors emphasized the importance of ongoing engagement with creative industries bodies in the development of equitable and ethical guidelines for the future.

Credit and compensation: Fairness in the AI era

If AI draws on a human creator’s style or content, that creator deserves recognition and payment. Proper credit safeguards both professional integrity and the sustainability of the creative sector. Without credit, the creative ecosystem risks becoming exploitative, undermining the very individuals who fuel it.

Recognition alone is not enough. Artists and creators are also looking for fair compensation when their work is used to train or inspire AI systems. Licensing agreements with collective rights organisations was one suggestion for a path forward, ensuring that creators are paid when their intellectual property is utilised.

The creative sector has long been guided by the principles of fairness and mutual respect. Extending these principles to the realm of AI is essential. It was noted that the more legal frameworks are established around AI usage, the easier it will be to standardise fair compensation rates. This is not about stifling innovation – it’s about ensuring that innovation benefits everyone.

AI as a tool, not a threat

Despite concerns, the panel also explored the positive potential of AI. Aisling Murray shared examples of artists using AI as a collaborator, from musicians training AI on their own sounds to Holly Herndon’s Holly+ voice-sharing project.

AI can also promote inclusion and accessibility, particularly for neurodivergent creators, as shown in the GenAI Champions Project. With strong AI literacy and ethical guardrails, technology can enhance, not erode, the creative process.

Ireland’s role in the global conversation

With its strong tech presence and vibrant creative culture, Ireland is well-placed to help shape global AI governance. As the EU and U.S. take diverging approaches, Ireland’s emphasis on data protection and ethical innovation positions it as a bridge between creativity and technology.

Ongoing dialogue, regulation and education will be key to ensuring AI empowers rather than exploits. The conversation has only begun – but it’s one we must continue.