AI Splits the Creator Class: Authenticity vs. Innovation

The digital creator ecosystem is facing a watershed moment. Once a united force transforming the media landscape, today’s creators are being split by a profound choice: embrace artificial intelligence to accelerate content production, or double down on distinctly human qualities—voice, vulnerability, imperfection—that set them apart. This emerging divide isn't just philosophical; it’s being accelerated by the rapid evolution of AI-powered tools and platforms, most notably Meta’s new Vibes tab and OpenAI’s Sora app. These innovations are not only redefining how content is made but also forcing creators to confront fundamental questions about authenticity, creativity, and the future of their craft.

The Rise of AI: Opportunity or Existential Threat?

The introduction of AI-driven content creation has sent ripples of excitement and anxiety through the creator community. Meta’s Vibes tab, which is developing a dedicated feed of AI-generated videos, and OpenAI’s Sora, an app that lets anyone generate videos on demand without a camera, are more than just novel tools. They represent a paradigm shift—one that challenges the very notion of what it means to be a creator.

Thobey Campion, the founder of Lore Machine, captures this moment as a “creative reckoning” rather than an existential threat. For Campion, the arrival of advanced AI is an opportunity for creators to use these tools thoughtfully, keeping a keen eye on issues such as demarcation, copyright, and originality. The promise: new forms of artistic expression, greater efficiency, and expanded creative possibilities.

Yet, not everyone shares Campion’s optimism. Leslie Morgan, who leads the agency Every Problem Solved, notes a palpable skepticism among creators, even those who have long engaged with AI. The release of Sora has heightened anxieties about the erosion of boundaries between what is real, historically accurate, or civically responsible. The core concern is that AI may not just supplement human creativity, but supplant it—raising the specter of a digital world awash in indistinguishable, mass-produced content.

A New Split in Creator Identity

The tension surrounding AI’s role is more than a technical debate—it is reshaping how creators view themselves and their work. Becky Owen, CMO of the influencer agency Billion Dollar Boy, observes a clear and growing split: some creators are becoming avid adopters of AI, leveraging its speed and versatility, while others are staunch rejectors, fiercely protecting the authenticity and hard-won identity that built their platforms.

This split was on full display at a recent London event hosted by a creator agency. Danae Mercer, a journalist turned creator with over 2.2 million Instagram followers, embodies the human-centric approach. Her content is rooted in honesty and vulnerability, qualities her audience craves in an era of digital perfection. Mercer’s approach is predicated on the belief that authenticity cannot be faked or automated; it must be lived and shared.

In stark contrast stands Omar Karim, a creator and AI image maker who is pushing the boundaries of what authorship means in the digital age. Karim’s experiments with AI-generated imagery don’t just blur the line between creator and creation—they redraw it entirely. His audience, unlike Mercer’s, is hungry for the fantastical, the novel, and the impossible—realities only achievable with advanced AI.

Both Mercer and Karim are responding to a fundamental truth: creators are, ultimately, in conversation with their audiences. Whether they choose to highlight their humanity or embrace the synthetic possibilities of AI, their success hinges on understanding and meeting evolving expectations.

Platforms as Catalysts: Meta’s Vibes and OpenAI’s Sora

The divide between AI adopters and skeptics is being widened by the platforms themselves. Meta’s Vibes tab, with its focus on AI-generated video, and OpenAI’s Sora, which democratizes video creation, are not just new tools—they are new stages upon which the future of social media will play out.

While it remains to be seen how quickly these platforms will shape the next phase of digital culture, their impact is already being felt. They are accelerating the need for creators to make a choice: to build entire worlds powered by AI, or to remain firmly anchored in their own, often imperfect, identities.

This choice is not merely aesthetic; it carries significant economic and reputational consequences. As the market for AI-generated content swells, questions of copyright, originality, and ethical responsibility become ever more pressing. Creators who embrace AI must navigate a landscape where the boundaries of ownership and authorship are in constant flux. Those who reject AI, meanwhile, must contend with the challenge of maintaining relevance and scale in a world that increasingly prizes speed and novelty.

The Devaluation of Hard-Won Creativity

For many long-time creators, the rise of AI content creation feels like a threat to the very foundation of their work. Historically, creators have leveraged their unique identities and hard-earned skills to transform personal narratives into economic value—from the earliest days of YouTube and Instagram to the viral sensations of TikTok.

What distinguishes this new era is that much of what made a creator’s identity valuable—experience, effort, authenticity—now risks being overshadowed by generative AI tools. The result is a profound sense of unease: will the next generation of influencers be valued for their creativity, or simply their capacity to generate and post content at scale?

To many observers, the promise of AI is double-edged. On one hand, these technologies can make creators better, more efficient, and more prolific. On the other, they risk turning creative work into a race to produce the next viral meme or trend, often at the expense of integrity, depth, or craft. This has given rise to the phenomenon derisively termed “AI slop”—a deluge of low-quality, mass-produced content that threatens to drown out genuine artistry.

Redefining Authorship and Audience Trust

The debate around AI in content creation is as much about audience trust as it is about creative tools. As AI-generated media becomes more sophisticated, the line between authentic and synthetic content blurs. For audiences, this presents a challenge: how to discern what is genuine, and why it matters. For creators, the stakes are even higher. The erosion of clear authorship risks undermining the very relationships—built on trust and relatability—that underpin their influence and economic success.

Creators like Mercer, who foreground their humanity, are betting that audiences will continue to value realness over reach. Those like Karim, who embrace AI, wager that audiences will prize imagination and innovation, even if it comes at the cost of traditional authenticity. The marketplace for attention—and trust—has never been more competitive or more fraught.

The Road Ahead: Choice, Creativity, and Consequence

As platforms like Meta’s Vibes and OpenAI’s Sora gain traction, the creator community faces a defining choice. Will the future belong to those who master AI, building new worlds that push the boundaries of what’s possible? Or will it favor those who double down on the irreplaceable qualities of human creativity—flaws and all?

What is clear is that the era of the monolithic “creator class” is over. In its place is a landscape marked by divergence and experimentation, risk and reward. The creative reckoning described by Campion is not just a moment of anxiety, but of opportunity—a chance for creators to rethink what they do, why they do it, and for whom.

The next chapter in the creator economy will be written by those who can navigate this new terrain with clarity, integrity, and adaptability. Whether powered by algorithms or authenticity, the future of digital creativity will be shaped by the choices made now—choices that will define not only the content we consume, but the very meaning of creation itself.