Creative talent is America’s greatest asset in the AI era
America is producing an extraordinary generation of creative talent at a moment when creativity has never been more valuable. Across industries, creativity is shaping culture, fueling innovation, and driving economic growth. While interest in creative careers remains strong, the next generation of talent is facing growing uncertainty about how to build careers in today’s rapidly changing environment. In fact, new research by the Fashion Institute of Technology, conducted with The Harris Poll, found that 80% of Americans say creative careers are undervalued, while 87% say cost prevents talented people from pursuing them. And further, when it comes to technology, 71% believe AI has made it harder to find work in creative industries. Those concerns are real and understandable. AI is arriving at a moment when creative industries are already evolving quickly, pushing businesses and educators to rethink how creative careers are built, supported, and sustained. While the technology may be new, the solution is familiar: Invest in people, in creative education, and in the uniquely human skills that continue to set great creative work apart. STRENGTHEN THE HUMAN CREATIVITY AND AI PARTNERSHIP I am not an AI doomer. Every transformative technology—computers, the internet, smartphones—has generated the same anxiety before seamlessly integrating into our everyday lives. AI may follow a similar path, but today’s concerns around job security, ownership, hallucinations, environmental impacts, and creative control are real. They should be addressed and inform how we build and govern these tools responsibly. At the same time, AI offers value in speeding up many business processes, such as handling repetitive tasks efficiently, crunching numbers, and administrative tasks that would take hours or even days to do. It also might help designers be better designers, and inspire creatives to push their ideas further. Let’s be clear: AI does not have an imagination. It cannot replicate the hu