The impact of artificial intelligence on creative industries: Freelancers’ anxieties and concerns

The article examines the impact of the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies on the creative industries and the concerns of workers in this field regarding the potential deterioration of their working conditions and displacement from the labor market. The aim of the study is to identify the degree of concern among freelancers engaged in intellectual and creative professions regarding competition with AI and to assess their perception of AI’s current capabilities in making creative content. The empirical basis was provided by online survey data of 778 Russian freelancers receiving jobs through the Freelance.ru digital platform, conducted in spring 2024. It was found that many respondents are already actively using AI in their work. The majority of freelancers note AI’s high current capabilities in creating texts, images, translation, and other areas, and more than a third believe that in the coming years AI will be able to do their typical work as well or even better than they do it themselves. Those who were least likely to experience concerns about their future were individuals who had been trained in AI, used it to perform job tasks, satisfied with their work, and had a high level of income, i.e., generally had a stable position in the labor market. Despite the concerns of some workers, the development of AI opens up new opportunities for the creative industries; however, regular monitoring of the situation is required to develop measures to adapt the labor market.