South African creatives embrace AI while calling for IP protection – new report.

Gqeberha, South Africa – December 10, 2024: A groundbreaking report from the South African Cultural Observatory (SACO) reveals that creative professionals are enthusiastically adopting artificial intelligence while demanding stronger intellectual property protections and more say in how the AI era unfolds.

Drawing from extensive industry consultation, including a national “Café AI” workshop engaging over 800 participants and a survey of 157 creative workers, the study, Artificial Intelligence: Rushed Revolution or Holy Algorithmic Grail? presents the most comprehensive analysis of AI’s impact on South Africa’s creative sector to date.

The research found that 71% of surveyed creative workers already use AI tools in their work. However, 90% emphasised the need for stronger policy and regulation mechanisms to protect their intellectual property rights, copyright, and creativity.

“AI is a powerful tool that can enhance and augment creativity,” said Amy Shelver, lead author of the report. “While AI is not yet fully creative, it excels at speed, scale, and pattern recognition, connecting dots we humans might miss. However, we must ensure that AI tools and software don’t exploit creative workers. This includes protecting their intellectual property and ensuring fair compensation for their work.”

Significant work remains to build protections into policy, prevent algorithmic bias, and plan for workforce transitions or there is the risk that unfettered AI deployment would “would wreak economic havoc not only on nations but also the very software providers serving AI tools, when their customer base can no longer afford their products because they are out of work,” said report co-author Masilake Njomane.

Protections need to be in place, the report says, while balancing safeguarding with the need for innovation.

“What is already happening in cultural and creative industries (CCIs), which traditionally embrace technology and innovation, provides a picture of what is to come across society. The impacts of AI on creative work and workers are the canary in the AI data mine for both the upsides and downsides,” says Shelver.

Results and sector sentiments

Surveyed creative workers view AI as a powerful tool for enhancing creativity, improving efficiency, and opening new avenues for artistic expression. Yet concerns about job displacement, intellectual property rights, and algorithmic bias persist.

The report reveals that while 70.7% of creative workers use AI tools and 67.9% express excitement about AI’s potential, 89.5% believe more policy and regulation are essential for responsible AI integration. A significant 89% worry about intellectual property and copyright infringements. 

“Many creative workers don’t fully grasp AI’s potential impact on their work,” says Unathi Lutshaba, SACO Executive Director. “We need to equip them with knowledge and skills to move through the AI era successfully, while also protecting their creative rights.”

The report examines these survey results against broader industry shifts, mapping them as a set of intersecting and influential tensions, and showcasing voices and insights from creative workers.  

According to the report, the audio-visual and interactive media, design and creative services, and visual arts and crafts domains seem to be most impacted by the arrival of AI tools and software it finds.

Creative workers participating in the research debated whether AI is a rushed revolution or holy algorithmic grail. CEO of Chocolate Tribe Animation Studio, Nosipho Maketo-Van den Bragt, sees AI as “a holy grail that allows humans to do the things we have always wanted to do.”

“AI is a very powerful ally, but it’s a tool. We must remove the emotive conversation so we can truly see what AI is capable of,” she said.

Eduardo Cachucho, Fak’ugesi African Digital Innovation creative director, countered: “We are really on the precipice of a new data colonialism. I am against huge multinational companies who are already valued at trillions making more money from African culture and heritage – and for them to keep feeding us back that data and charging us for it.”

He added: “In the proprietary model, it’s a black box – we don’t know the constituency of the data, how the models have been trained and how the training affects the outputs. It’s like a Pandora’s box and allows these corporations to keep extracting data from Africa, again. If we do not take a stance, we are just going to be at the end of a new colonialism that is again extracting all the value from Africa and its culture, and we need to put a stop to that, fast.”

Some respondents see AI as democratising creativity, while others worry about plagiarism and ownership rights. As one participant noted: “AI will never catch up to human ingenuity. We always need to remember that AI is a tool and human creativity is fundamental.”

The Case of Animation SA

Animation SA, an organisation representing the South African animation industry, offers a compelling example of how AI can be leveraged to enhance creativity and productivity while mitigating potential job losses.

Recognising the disruptive potential of AI, Animation SA proactively integrated AI into its production pipeline, reducing budgets by up to 50% and significantly increasing efficiency.

“Within our incubator, where we're developing 10 first-time African animated TV series producers, we used that opportunity to bring AI into our pipeline,” said Isabelle Rorke, Deputy Chairperson of Animation South Africa.

By focusing on upskilling and training of first-time producers (high risk for investors), Animation SA empowered its cohort of animators, including 30 women, to embrace AI as a tool for innovation rather than a threat to their livelihoods.

“We've really had incredible discoveries and been able to really make the pipeline a lot more efficient and productive.”

They also adopted an ‘inverted value chain’ approach, emphasising the development phase and investing in artists, writers, and business professionals, ensuring that the core creative aspects of the production remained human-driven.

This strategic approach has enabled animators to de-risk job losses and to not only adapt to the changing landscape but also to thrive in the AI era, creating new opportunities for growth and expansion.

“We’re witnessing a delicate balancing act between AI’s transformative potential and its disruptive impact,” said Shelver. “These tensions must be thoughtfully – but quickly – addressed to ensure AI benefits all creative workers equitably.”

Policy to guide SA through the AI revolution

The report proposes a “Protection-Innovation-Remuneration Continuum” framework for policymakers, providing a clear decision-making structure to balance three critical elements: protecting creative workers, encouraging innovation, and ensuring fair compensation for their work, whether original, augmented by AI or used for AI training. 

“This framework isn’t just about managing AI in creative industries — it’s a blueprint for ensuring AI is integrated across our country and region safely, innovatively and in a pro-jobs way,” added Lutshaba. “It offers a practical approach to embracing AI while putting human needs and economic justice at the forefront.”

The report authors argue that this framework can be applied to all industries and sectors and provides a powerful lens for making policy choices that favour both technological leaps and people’s welfare. 

“We need to ensure that South Africa’s creative workers can benefit from the AI revolution while also ensuring their bread and butter – ideas, skills and products and services – are not put at risk.”

The report was produced for the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture by the South African Cultural Observatory and a research team made up of Shelver, Njomane and Dr. Karabo Maiyane.

Download the report here: https://www.southafricanculturalobservatory.org.za/artificial-intelligence-cci-report