FONDECYT Project No. 1261490: “Creative Work in the Era of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI): An Exploratory Approach to Imaginaries and Practices in Chile’s Creative Industries (2026-2030)”
How is AI changing the way we create in Chile?
Since the arrival of ChatGPT in late 2022, generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) has become part of the daily lives of those who create content. Today it can produce text, images, music, and video in seconds. Some celebrate that it increases productivity and creativity. Others warn about employment, authorship, and the use of works without permission: lawsuits against OpenAI and Microsoft, Hollywood screenwriters on strike, and disputes over AI-generated music.
Between enthusiasm and alarm, a more concrete question is missing: what is actually happening in practice for those who work in the creative industries?
What we research
This project studies how GenAI is transforming the culture of creative work in Chile from two angles:
Imaginaries: the visions, expectations, and controversies circulating about AI in institutions, companies, and creative communities.
Practices: how creative workers use (or decide not to use) these tools in their daily work, and what tensions arise around authenticity, originality, and ownership of what they create.
Four sectors are the focus of the project:
🎬 Audiovisual · 🎵 Music · 📰 Media and communications · 🎮 Video games
How we do it
With a qualitative and exploratory approach: in-depth interviews with creators and key actors in the sector, participant observation, documentary analysis, and digital methods.
Why it matters
Creative work is already precarious and increasingly dependent on digital platforms. If we understand how AI enters this scenario, we can anticipate its effects and provide evidence for public policies that promote fair and sustainable creative work.
