Creativity has long been held as an essentially human activity, making the creative industries a unique area of investigation for the impact of new technologies on the nature and experience of work. In the summer of 2025, I worked with IFOW on a project aligned to my studies at Sussex University to explore this area and, in particular, differences in exposure to AI and job quality outcomes across socio-demographic groups. The hope is that this would then provide a basis for designing interventions that ensure the gains of AI are equitably shared.

Previous IFOW research has shown creativity to be a key human-centred skill, and one that is becoming increasingly important in a rapidly changing world of work, alongside initiative, collaboration and resilience. Beyond the significant contribution of the creative industries to the UK economy, an investigation into the creative industries can act as a ‘canary in the mine’ for the automation of other labour and industries. Sustaining job quality in the creative industries will likely offer lessons for how innovation and social good can advance together across the economy.

The UK’s Creative Industries Sector Plan acknowledges that artificial intelligence is reshaping how creative work is organised, delivered, and valued. However, policy efforts must go beyond understanding how AI will impact the sector, to uncover the socio-demographic people groups that form the industry, and where they are located. While the Creative Industries Sector Plan rightly places emphasis on supporting the UK’s city regions and clusters, these interventions must not unintentionally create or magnify existing regional and demographic inequalities.

The Pissarides Review

The data I based my analyses on was collected as part of IFOW's Pissarides Review on the Future of Work and Wellbeing, specifically a survey of over 5,000 employees in the UK, including a subsample of 190 workers employed in the creative sector. I examined the survey data to investigate levels of AI exposure across different groups, before examining the associations between exposure and job quality changes such as salary and job prospects. The analysis was conducted for the creative sample as well as the wider UK workforce, and further stratified within the creative sector by age, gender, ethnicity, level of education, and geographic region of residence.

Key Findings

Overall, the creative sector is largely consistent with the broader UK workforce in both AI exposure and changes in job quality. Workers with a university degree consistently experienced the most positive outcomes across multiple job quality characteristics. Interestingly, despite being the least exposed to AI, older workers reported the largest gains in learning opportunities and the ability to apply ideas at work. Geographic differences also emerged: while the Southwest and London are often regarded as 'creative hubs' and are an area of focus in the Creative Industries Sector Plan, AI exposure in these regions was notably lower than regions such as the Midlands and Northern Ireland.  

This blog by Marley Bartlett is based on the independent research project she conducted during a placement at IFOW as a Junior Research Associate from the University of Sussex Business School. The scheme culminated in a research poster for presentation at a university poster exhibition, where Marley placed second in the business department.