Right now, it’s estimated that 59% of creators are using tools powered by artificial intelligence. From automated engagements using chatbots to assisting with video editing, creators are leveraging the full potential of available AI tools. But not everyone is a big fan.
In the latest Storyblocks member survey, only 37% of individual creators and 29% of businesses are enthusiastic about using AI in their video workflow. Some folks still love editing and producing videos themselves, where they are more involved and have more control over the process. But others are choosing to leverage AI tools like ChatGPT to speed up pre-production tasks and use AI-powered software to streamline their editing process.
So, if you choose to skip AI, does it mean you’re falling behind? Will your creator journey not succeed as much compared to your AI-using peers? Adobe’s vice president of generative AI, Alexandru Costin, seems to think so. Here’s what content creators think.
The role of AI—where it starts and where it stops
“AI is generally not a bad thing, because it opens possibilities and in a way democratizes certain skills and can assist people,” says photographer and filmmaker Teo Crawford. He uses it to get valuable time back and help simplify the more complicated parts of being an independent creator.
“AI is a great companion for me in my work when it comes to anything regarding business, admin, and the law,” he explains. “I used to spend a lot of time carefully reading a contract before signing it, hoping that I understood everything correctly and did not sign my life away. Now I upload the contract to ChatGPT and ask it to give me a summary written in normal, understandable English and advise me on points that need editing.”
Isaiah Norfleet, photographer and videographer based in Montreal, is on the same page, noting that AI is just a tool. “For creatives like me, it really comes down to how you use it,” He explains. “AI can do a lot, but it can’t replicate you. Your taste, your intuition, your ability to make people feel something through your work—that’s still 100% human.”
And that’s something many creators tend to forget—their humanness. While relying on AI is a great thing, there’s still a line that, when you cross it, you may not be using AI ethically anymore. Or, you may be too dependent on it, it’ll eventually hurt your business.
AI in film production and similar industries
In film and video production, AI is giving editors their time back, with 76% of individual creators and 75% of businesses Storyblocks surveyed saying that time savings is the biggest benefit they’ve seen with AI tools.
Social media editor Rachel Kisela has seen the changes happening first-hand, sharing that, “AI is already taking some parts of the video editing process. I’ve seen AI software in beta where, if you search for ‘pink dress,’ it’ll find all the clips of a pink dress in the footage—something that used to take half a day for an assistant editor.”
Efficiency is undoubtedly one of AI’s biggest assets. Norfleet shares how ChatGPT is assisting in his workflow, saying, “I use it for everything from writing video scripts and brainstorming content to improving my emails, captions, and even business strategies.” He adds that, “It’s like having a creative partner who’s available 24/7 and doesn’t get tired of me asking questions.”
And while we’re swimming in an ocean of AI filmmaking tools, Norfleet says it hasn’t taken away any gigs from him. “It’s actually helped me get more,” he shares. “My branding, my messaging, even the way I present my offers—it’s all gotten tighter thanks to AI helping me stay sharp and consistent. I’ve been able to scale my business and show up more professionally without needing a full team behind me.”
AI is helping creators speed up their production workflows, improve their content, and even scale their business. But what does this mean for creators who aren’t using AI? Are they going to fall behind because they can’t keep up with their AI-assisted peers?
The dangers of too much AI
Despite all of the benefits, there are downsides to relying too much on artificial intelligence. As Norfleet points out, “If you’re using AI to skip the creative process or copy what’s already out there, that’s when it becomes a problem.”
New studies back this up. A recent study from June 2025 by MIT’s Media Lab found out that writers who used ChatGPT to write an essay “had the lowest brain engagement and ‘consistently underperformed at neural, linguistic, and behavioral levels.’”
As Crawford puts it, “People [are] developing an overreliance on AI and basically outsourcing their own brain to ChatGPT, which consequently results in their own brain slowly deteriorating due to a lack of usage.”
This isn’t entirely surprising. Just like other parts of our body, our brain needs regular workouts to operate efficiently. If you outsource your thinking, that skill will weaken over time.
As we move to an era that will continue to use AI, this is definitely something that everyone – not just creators – need to keep in mind. For now, while there’s no doubt AI can help for a better and faster workflow, not knowing where its role ends might do more harm than good.
When empowerment leads to success
Seeing how AI can help us succeed and where it can fail us is eye-opening. It reveals that the human aspects of creating cannot be easily replaced and reminds us that maybe, we should worry less about AI replacing humans in the workforce.
When asked about whether or not a content creator can still be successful even if they don’t use AI, Kristen Sanger says, “Absolutely. AI is a tool; it does not replace the need for unique ideas and creativity.” She adds, “While creators may have additional competition in the market, having a unique voice, style, and the ability to drive emotion in storytelling will always create a connection with the viewer and ultimately drive the success of the project.”
Sanger, who is the Executive Vice President of Creative at PI Fine Art and former Vice President of Content for Storyblocks, further shares, “I would be remiss if I didn’t quote my mother with: ‘If everyone else jumped off a bridge, would you?’” which underscores the free will we have in choosing which tools we use, and how much we should value our uniqueness.
For Crawford, AI is nothing but a typical competitor. “Analyze what AI can do and what it can’t do and focus on what it can’t do, because that is where you can beat it,” he says when asked what creators can do about the presence of AI. And this is definitely a smart move. Because, no matter how much technology improves, authenticity and genuine storytelling—the key ingredients for growing a business—are rooted in real human experiences.
This is the same reason why Storyblocks invests in genuine, authentic footage through their Re: Stock initiative. The stories, emotions, and nuance captured by artists is something that AI can’t reproduce.
Redefining the future of work
Where do we go from here?
It is expected that the number of content creators will only rise, and so will AI software. But there is no threat if you know who you are as a creative. Sanger says, “AI, in a lot of cases, dilutes creativity by leveraging a large training model. The ‘outlier’ data gets eliminated, and the common ones are used to create the decisions.” She continues with some important questions: “Would you want your creative to be average? The middle of the road? The uniformity? Or do you want to think big, bold, and creative?”
Crawford is also not worried, sharing, “I do not see a wedding photographer being replaced by an AI any time soon.” He adds, “A couple values the human connection of shooting with a real photographer on their special day. These photographs are based in the real world and simply cannot be generated.”
Needless to say, AI tools can greatly help photographers and video editors speed things up. As Notfleet points out: “If you’re using it to enhance your creativity, speed up your workflow, or explore new ideas, it can be a game changer.”
Things like fixing backgrounds and enhancing images can be done a lot faster with the help of AI, leaving you with more time to do important things like talking to your next scheduled clients or replying to inquiries. This is to say, success can also happen when you work with AI, not against it.
Quality over quantity
“The world doesn’t need more AI-generated content—it needs real creatives who know how to use AI without losing their voice,” Norfleet shares. As tempting as it is to use AI to keep pushing out more and more reels or videos, if they’re losing their quality, you may also be losing your creativity.
Even platforms like YouTube are implementing stricter rules against AI-generated content to combat being overrun with mass-produced AI slop. By making generative videos ineligible for monetization, their goal is to make sure their platform features the type of content that actually adds value to its users.
This is pushing millions of content creators who want to jump on the bandwagon in hopes of getting a piece of the $250 billion dollar pie to get more serious and real. While AI can make content creation easier and faster, and while content creators are encouraged to embrace it, quality over quantity still wins the game.
Be rooted in storytelling
Too often, we get distracted and pulled into a lane that everyone else also chooses. But you must not forget why you’re creating. In the midst of all the technological advancements, Sanger says, “Your uniqueness is an asset. Leverage it and be unapologetically you and maybe a bit weird. Our best ideas are often rooted in what we think is a bit odd; it means we pushed ourselves outside the common ground, and AI is all about common ground.”
For creators, choosing your own definition of success and what you want to achieve is what will help guide you to the right workflow. If you have tons of ideas and AI helps you bring those ideas to life faster and more efficiently than you can do on your own, embrace it. But if you prefer to take your time developing your ideas and keeping your creative process truly your own, that’s a mark of success too.
Lean into authenticity
The promise of AI is vast. From fraud detections to navigation systems, virtual assistants like Siri, to analyzing medical images like X-rays and MRIs to identify fractures and detect diseases, there is no doubt that AI is helpful. And it still has so much potential.
But for creative entrepreneurs and digital creators, using AI ultimately comes down to personal choice. For people who see the potential for content creation to bring in money or fame or both, it’s not your fault if you feel threatened by a software that can generate an image better than what you photographed.
It’s not overreacting when you feel like there’s no space for you, or AI will soon be able to do what you do 10x better. These are all valid. But as Sanger explains, “AI is crafting things based on what has already been done. Our stories are not yet written, and I guarantee your individual path will lead to creating new and unique stories.”
The best way to give yourself a safe space to create freely is to remember that artificial intelligence learns from people. AI filmmaking tools are useless if humans don’t provide it with authentic and real content. Lean into that. And as Norfleet says, “stay curious.”
