TLDR: New Zealand’s creative sector is grappling with the profound impact of generative AI, with many professionals reporting a significant decline in work and income. A recent study highlights concerns about AI’s potential to diminish critical thinking skills. Four local creatives—a writer/editor, a copywriting project manager, a freelance writer/designer, and a designer/animator—share their firsthand accounts of job displacement, financial strain, and ethical dilemmas arising from the rapid adoption of AI tools by clients and institutions. While New Zealand businesses are rapidly adopting AI, consumer trust remains a challenge, and discussions around copyright and ethical AI use are ongoing.
The creative sector in New Zealand is experiencing a significant upheaval due to the rapid proliferation of generative artificial intelligence, with many professionals facing a decline in work and a struggle to compete. A recent study on the ‘cognitive cost of using a Large Language Model (LLM)’ suggests that the critical thinking skills of ChatGPT users may diminish over time, as these systems reduce immediate cognitive load but can decrease engagement in deep analytical processes. This study underscores broader concerns about AI’s impact on work, education, and daily life, even as many workplaces in Aotearoa adopt AI solutions.
Four New Zealand creatives have shared their personal experiences of how AI is affecting their livelihoods:
Freya Daly Sadgrove, creative writer and editor, recounted a ‘dreamy job’ in 2024 marking personal development reports for engineering students, a role she cherished for its empathetic engagement and the opportunity to provide constructive feedback. However, for the subsequent semester, the university informed markers that they would primarily be ‘lightly editing feedback generated by a Large Language Model (LLM).’ The university justified this by stating AI would ‘remove all the boring parts of the marker job,’ allowing humans to focus on ‘the parts of the feedback students will actually read.’ Daly Sadgrove found this logic demeaning, particularly the assumption that students weren’t reading human feedback. She rejected the reframed job, questioning the ethics of a machine making students ‘feel heard’ and whether students would be aware of this. Several colleagues also declined the offer.
Jackie Lee Morrison, writer and editor, witnessed an immediate and drastic drop in client work for her copywriting company after OpenAI’s ChatGPT was released in November 2022. Despite expanding her team to meet anticipated demand from a new major US shareholder, the expected increase in work never materialized as US clients were among the first to experiment with AI. The company, which prided itself on using skilled human writers, employed AI detection programs. By January 2023, copywriting contracts had dwindled to the point where there wasn’t enough work to support her team, leading to layoffs and departures. Lee Morrison ultimately decided to leave the company at the end of 2023, believing ‘things would’ve just dropped off.’
Ash Raymond James, a freelance writer and graphic designer with over a decade of experience, described AI’s impact on his work as ‘severely negative,’ particularly affecting book design and editing contracts as publishing companies and self-publishing clients increasingly turn to AI. Clients are now using AI models for editing and generating design assets like logos and social media content. Some even expect his fees to decrease, assuming he will utilize faster, widely available AI tools. James noted that major companies are integrating AI elements instead of hiring human designers. He stated, ‘It is impossible to compete financially. I am being hired significantly less as AI becomes more normalised. From my point point of view as a full-time creator, AI is crippling industries and stealing opportunities.’
Hera Wynn, a designer and animator, expressed a sense of redundancy and being ‘lost’ after pivoting to illustration and animation in 2022, just as AI became more open source. Having studied media design in 2013 when computers were seen as the future, she now feels the pendulum has ‘gone too far the other way.’ Wynn remarked, ‘I feel like hospitality and retail jobs might be the last to survive.’
Also Read:
- Sky News Report: AI’s Impact on the Job Market – 40 Roles at High Risk and 40 Deemed Secure
- OpenAI’s Sora AI Reshapes Content Creation Landscape, Empowering New Digital Storytellers
These individual experiences reflect a broader trend in New Zealand. While AI adoption surged in 2025, with 82-87% of businesses and 69% of consumers using AI tools for productivity, consumer trust remains low, at only 34%. The nation has prioritized AI adoption over development, leading to substantial productivity gains. Discussions are also underway regarding copyright exemptions for AI companies and the development of licensing markets for AI training models. The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) has issued guidance on responsible AI, emphasizing fair attribution and compensation for creators, and ethical sourcing of datasets, including respect for Māori content and knowledge.
