Creative labour and generative AI: a typology of asymmetrical relations

Abstract

In this article, we argue that the benefits and harms of generative AI in the content and conditions of creative labour are not evenly distributed across the cultural industries and between cultural workers. In light of this, we propose a conceptual typology that allows for a more granular and nuanced analysis of the asymmetrical impact of GenAI in creative labour structured around three dimensions: contractual relations, forms of automation, and workflows. Regarding contractual relations, we differentiate between formal, self-employed, and platform-mediated creative labour. In forms of automation, we identify four dominant uses: automation as replacement, automation as augmentation, humanly extended automation, and control. Finally, we define three types of workflows: artisanal, industrial, and informational. This typology is guided by the concept of distributed creative agency, which we claim is the result of a constant negotiation between three forces: practices, artefacts, and social structures. Furthermore, the proposed conceptual typology can be operationalized for empirical research in order to better capture the conditions under which AI shapes creative labour in contemporary capitalism.