UNESCO Report: AI Could Slash Artist Incomes by Nearly a Quarter by 20

When Maria Santos landed her first commission as a digital illustrator in 2019, she thought she had found her footing in an industry that seemed to value human creativity above all else. Six years later, she’s watching her inbox fill with requests to compete against AI-generated artwork priced at fractions of her rates. She’s not alone—and now, the United Nations has the data to prove it.

“Generative AI is projected to drive significant income losses for artists by 2028, with disruptions occurring at a pace that outstrips current policy responses.” — UNESCO Report

The Numbers Behind the Crisis

According to a comprehensive new report released by UNESCO on Wednesday, the cultural and creative industries are facing an unprecedented threat. The agency’s flagship monitoring report, Re|Shaping Policies for Creativity, which covers more than 120 countries, delivers sobering projections for creators worldwide.

Music creators could see their revenues fall by 24 percent, while those working in the audiovisual sector may lose 21 percent of their income due to the expanding presence of AI-generated content in global markets. These aren’t abstract projections—they represent millions of real livelihoods at risk.

The timing is critical. The report warns that these disruptions are occurring faster than policymakers can respond, exacerbating inequalities and threatening the economic foundation of the cultural sector.

The Creative Digital Divide

While AI-generated content creates challenges for all creators, the burden isn’t distributed equally. The UNESCO report highlights a stark digital divide that compounds the problem.

Developed countries have 67 percent of their populations possessing essential digital skills. In developing countries, that figure drops to just 28 percent. This disparity means creators in the Global South face a double disadvantage: they’re competing against AI-generated content while lacking the tools and skills to adapt.

The dominance of major streaming platforms adds another layer of complexity. Opaque algorithms increasingly determine which content gets visibility, and many artists report that their work is being buried beneath AI-generated alternatives that can be produced at industrial scale.

“Without renewed investment, fairer market conditions and stronger international cooperation, creators risk being further marginalised as technologies evolve.” — UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany

Intellectual Property in the Crosshairs

Beyond the economic impact, the report highlights growing concerns about intellectual property violations. As AI-generated outputs enter the marketplace, creators are experiencing heightened exposure to unauthorized use of their work in training datasets and diminishing returns as their unique styles are replicated by algorithms.

The shift toward digital production and consumption has created new opportunities, but it’s also intensified economic uncertainty. For many artists, the question isn’t whether AI will impact their work—it’s whether they’ll be able to continue creating at all.

A Call for Coordinated Action

UNESCO isn’t simply documenting the problem; the agency is calling for urgent, coordinated action. The report outlines more than 8,100 policy measures and urges governments to mobilize cultural policy as a strategic priority.

The stakes extend beyond individual livelihoods. UNESCO warns that without intervention, the world risks losing the diversity of human creative expression that has defined cultures for millennia. Creativity, the agency argues, serves as a driver of social cohesion, economic opportunity, and cultural diversity—all of which are threatened by unchecked AI expansion in creative markets.

For artists like Maria Santos, the report validates what they’ve been experiencing firsthand. The question now is whether policymakers will act quickly enough to make a difference.

This article was reported by the ArtificialDaily editorial team. For more information, visit UN News.