Creative industries advised to use AI to 'augment' human creativity

The AI Champion for the creative industries has supported taking an 'augmentation-first' approach, focusing on how the technology can support human creativity and help workers spend more time on the creative and innovative aspects of their work.

Sally Davies, Managing Director of the internationally renowned Abbey Road Studios, said her AI adoption plan aimed to "help creative businesses, freelancers and institutions use AI responsibly where it strengthens their work, improves productivity, supports growth and creates new opportunities."

AI Champions were appointed in the UK's priority industries, including the creative industries, to develop action plans for different parts of the economy.

The AI plan for the creative industries recommends eight steps:

• Establish an augmentation first approach to AI adoption
• Continue to develop a responsible AI framework for the creative industries
• Raise practical AI knowledge and confidence
• Develop trusted guidance, standards, and tools for AI adoption
• Support skills, leadership, and workforce transition
• Reduce cost barriers to responsible adoption
• Expand nationwide AI infrastructure through testbeds, anchor institutions, and regional support
• Review, evaluate, and update the plan as technologies evolve

Davies said the creative industries had a history of adopting new technologies to reach new audiences, improve production and develop new business models, and also to encourage innovation in the wider economy. In gaming, for example, AI has been used through symbolic AI (computer science that attempts to recreate human intelligence using human-readable symbols, rules, and logic-based reasoning) and machine learning for non-player character behaviour and procedural generation.

She said that across the creative industries as a whole, many organisations recognise that AI may shape the medium-term viability of their business models, while also being alert to the risks of adopting tools too quickly, or without enough confidence.

In an interim response to the AI creative industries adoption plan, the UK government has pledged to work with the champions on implementation and regular reviews of progress.

It said it has ringfenced a new package of support that will make it easier for businesses to test, adopt and scale AI, as well as to support workers and open up opportunities for young people. Schemes backed by over £200 million will include investment into skills, local communities and industry to drive responsible AI adoption, removing the barriers holding back AI adoption for businesses of all sizes.

This includes providing £20 million to support the development of the new Early Careers Jobs Alliance, which will focus on ensuring that young people have opportunities for fulfilling career pathways in high-growth, AI-enabled sectors.

Other government objectives include building a strong evidence base and spotlighting good practice on the impact of AI, through tracking how AI is changing the jobs market and celebrating organisations that adopt AI in a way that supports workers, providing free online training in AI skills with a target of upskilling 10m people by 2030, and backing UK-based AI innovators to encourage wider adoption of trusted technology through the economy.

This work will include Innovate UK’s BridgeAI programme and a £100 million fund of grants to test advanced AI tools in live operational environments; an advisory AI Growth Lab to trial AI in real working environments - starting with legal services; and an AI Assurance Stakeholder Consortium to develop guidance and best practice to support the sector’s development and help deliver AI people can trust.

Qualitative research by Creative UK shows that while technology adoption is underway across creative industry subsectors, adoption is uneven and often held back by the size, shape and structure of organisations.

The research offers recommendations including governance and oversight tools tailored for creative businesses; supporting creative businesses to share knowledge and learnings about AI in a structured way; and funding designed to support step-by-step adoption, arguing that changing how work is done is a valid form of innovation.

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