Arts organisations’ AI adoption ‘established but uneven’, report finds

The adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) is already “underway” across creative and cultural industries, but is often “subject to specific frictions” within the sector, according to a report released by Creative UK today (4 June).

The paper shows that while AI and emerging technologies are being widely taken up, there are often structural constraints to this facing many arts organisations.

Commissioned by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), the AI and Emerging Technology Adoption in the Cultural and Creative Industries report draws on a study undertaken with 20 micro, small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) businesses.

The research also found firms report improvements in iteration speed, administrative efficiency and forecasting, though intent to use AI does not “translate automatically into widespread diffusion”.

The structural barriers to speedy adoption include limited organisational capacity with uneven cashflow to support it, varying governance capabilities and differing client dynamics.

Published ahead of the one-year anniversary of the government’s Industrial Strategy, wherein the creative industries were highlighted as one of the key sectors with growth potential, and the Creative Industries Sector Plan, the report sets out recommendations to support the effective adoption of responsible AI.

The research indicates micro and small firms without suitable infrastructure “face higher relative costs and greater exposure to error” during the adoption.

Meanwhile, firms that are able to “institutionalise governance and experimentation” are positioned to “integrate more rapidly and at greater scale”.

‘We need practical guidance’

Creative UK – the national membership body for the cultural and creative industries – was tasked by the Creative Industries Sector Plan, published last year, to convene technology leaders from across the sector to understand the main barriers affecting the uptake of new technology.

Commenting on the report, Creative UK chief executive Emily Cloke said: “Many businesses operating in the UK’s creative industries are embracing responsible AI and using digital tools to boost productivity, unleash creativity and stay competitive.

“But our report is clear that adoption is happening despite structural barriers, not because those barriers have been removed. Micro and small creative businesses in particular face constraints with capability, finance and risk that are slowing progress.”

The report supports a coordinated response focused on reducing the structural frictions, rather than stimulating interest, suggesting interventions are “piloted at limited scale” prior to a wider roll-out.

It recommends providing “proportionate, sector-relevant tools” to clarify acceptable use of the technologies, alongside structured search and evaluation support to reduce wasted experimentation.

Frictions can be addressed by developing capability, including within leadership, and introducing staged adoption.

Cloke called for the sector’s “ambition” to be matched with “targeted support”, adding: “We need practical guidance, better-aligned financial incentives and more robust AI regulation to give creative businesses the confidence to adopt AI responsibly and at scale.

“With the right interventions, we can strengthen the creative industries’ already significant contribution to the UK economy. We look forward to working in partnership with the government to support the sector to accelerate the adoption of ethical AI.”