Artificial Intelligence (AI) isn’t just another technological wave — it is fundamentally reshaping every industry at breakneck speed. And the creative sector is no exception to that.
From film and fashion to design and gaming, AI-powered tools are generating ideas, streamlining workflows, and pushing boundaries in ways that were unimaginable a decade ago.
For higher education institutions, this presents both a challenge and an opportunity. Graduates are stepping into a job market where AI literacy is as integral as digital articulation once was. It is no longer enough for students to master traditional creative skills — they must also understand how to collaborate with AI to stay competitive.
The new reality: AI and creative jobs
Between 2021 and 2024, job postings which referenced the use of generative AI exploded by a factor of 15,625%. The creative industries were once thought to be among the safest from automation. That is no longer the case.
AI-driven tools such as OpenAI’s DALL·E, Runway’s AI-powered video editing, and ChatGPT for scriptwriting are not replacing human thinking, but they are dramatically changing the way work is being produced.
In architecture and product design, AI-powered generative models can produce blueprints in seconds. YouTube uses AI to help artists create tracks that mimic human vocals, while Adobe is integrating it to assist creators in real-time, automating labour-intensive editing and design work.
The World Economic Forum predicts that 65% of children entering primary school today will work in job categories that don’t even exist yet. Many of these will involve AI-human collaboration. Universities must act now to ensure students are prepared for this evolving landscape.
AI education: A cross-disciplinary necessity
To remain relevant, higher education institutions must be agile and move fast. The challenge is not just teaching students how to use these technologies but preparing them to define its role in their industries.
For too long, AI education has been confined to computer science departments, but its impact extends far beyond coding. Every creative discipline now interacts with it in some form and understanding how to embrace this appropriately is crucial for budding creatives.
The reality is that most universities are aware of AI’s growing influence. Institutions like the University of Oxford have already published online guidance on its use in learning, and many other UK higher education providers have followed suit.
AI is integrated across various courses at universities, to ensure students not only understand the tools but also know how to utilise them responsibly.
At the Royal College of Art (RCA), students are using AI to create groundbreaking digital material. Postgraduates at the University of Edinburgh’s creative media courses, meanwhile, are experimenting with AI-generated storytelling, learning to craft narratives in collaboration with machine learning models.
Beyond coursework, however, students are encouraged to engage with AI in innovative ways. A recent collaboration between Ravensbourne University London staff and students resulted in The Building, a short film exploring the ethics of AI-human relationships. The project provided hands-on experience in narrative design, preparing participants to tackle these challenges in the real world.
The pace of AI development means classic, textbook-driven learning is no longer enough. Universities need to focus on practical, real-world applications — through industry collaborations, project-based learning, and hands-on experimentation.
AI is changing how students learn
AI is not just transforming industries, but it is also revolutionising education itself. The traditional classroom model is evolving into more flexible, tech-driven experiences.
By harnessing AI, educators can tailor learning experiences to match a student’s individual needs — adjusting the pace, style, and structure to suit how they process information. This kind of personalised approach creates a more engaging and effective environment, particularly in creative disciplines where development is rarely linear.
Adaptive learning platforms adjust content based on student progress, making education more efficient and tailored. Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR/AR) simulations allow design, architecture and filmmaking students to prototype, collaborate, and experiment in fully immersive digital environments.
AI-driven research assistants help students sift through massive amounts of data and model complex systems, improving their ability to generate insights and forward-thinking solutions. At many creative universities, VR is being used to replicate real-world environments, enabling learners to experiment and design in ways that would not be possible in a conventional academic setting.
The role of tutors is also evolving as AI becomes more embedded in education. Rather than focusing solely on content delivery, lecturers are increasingly acting as mentors — guiding students through adaptive development paths. While AI can track performance, analyse progress, and provide customised insights, academics focus on the human elements that technology can’t replicate such as empathy, emotional support, creative intuition, and the ability to help students manage stress and anxiety. In this sense, AI offers a powerful collaborative model between humans and machines, one that enhances the overall learning experience rather than replacing it.
The ethical and legal challenges of AI
This rapid adoption of AI also brings ethical and legal dilemmas, particularly in creative fields. Who owns AI-generated work? If an AI tool creates an original piece of music or a painting, does the artist, the AI developer, or the tool itself hold the rights? Where does inspiration end and infringement begin?
AI models are often trained on copyrighted material, raising concerns about fair use and intellectual property. There is also the question of how to ensure AI promotes inclusivity and diversity. Many inherit biases from their training data, which can reinforce stereotypes and limit diverse representation in creative industries.
Our responsibilities as higher education institutions mean we need to equip students not only with AI skills but also with the moral and regulatory understanding to navigate these issues responsibly. This means embedding critical discussions on AI ethics into curriculums, ensuring graduates understand both the power and the limitations of the technology they will be working with.
Preparing students for an AI-powered future
No one can predict exactly what the creative industry will look like in the next 10 years. What is clear, however, is that adaptability will be a defining trait of successful graduates. As technology continues to evolve at pace, the demand for digital and AI fluency is growing faster than the workforce can keep up.
According to Lloyds Bank’s 2023 Consumer Digital Index, commissioned by the Department for Education, 7.5 million people — around 18% of UK adults — still lack the essential digital skills needed for the workplace. This widening skills gap makes it more urgent than ever for higher education to respond with speed and intent. Graduates must go beyond foundational knowledge — they need future-facing proficiencies that empower them not only to adapt to emerging technologies, but to influence how they are integrated into the world around us.
To meet the demands of an AI-powered job market, universities must offer more flexible learning pathways. Degrees alone will not be enough. Industry partnerships, short courses, and online learning qualifications will be crucial for lifelong learning.
AI is evolving in real time, and we must work directly with industry to ensure students are learning the latest, most relevant skills.
The future of creativity and AI
AI is not the end of human imagination — instead it is an opportunity to expand it in ways we have never seen before. The institutions that thrive in this new era will be those that embrace it while preserving the fundamental principles of creative expression.
We can’t merely focus on preparing students for today’s job market; we need to equip them with the tools to shape the industries of tomorrow.
