“We are in the Wild, Wild West phase of AI right now” – Jack Conte, co-founder and CEO of Patreon claimed as he explained that it is much harder nowadays on the platforms for online creators

“We’re  in the wild, wild west phase of AI right now’ Jack Conte, the co-founder and CEO of Patreon, claimed as he revealed online creators are now using short-form content as a tool to gain new viewers.

Speaking at Web Summit, Conte said: “It’s much harder nowadays on the platforms, which I think is why we see creators using short-form basically as a discovery layer.”

Conte’s comments come after the rapid growth of short-form platforms such as TikTok and social media’s new short-form formats, such as YouTube Shorts or Instagram Reels. 

The chief of Patreon comments were made as part of a discussion of fuelling the future of online creativity at Web Summit in Lisbon, where more than 70,000 people have gathered to discuss the most pressing questions around technology.

Speaking at Web Summit 2024 in Lisbon, Conte was asked about how AI will impact the creator economy and replied: “We’re really like in the wild, wild west phase of AI right now, and it’s similar to, I mean, I remember this phase of technology. Whenever a new medium, whenever a new technology emerges, there’s always a period of time where humanity is trying to figure out, ‘Oh, my God, what do we do about this?’”

“We’re seeing the lawsuits, you know, against the music generation companies. We’re seeing the New York Times lawsuit against open AI, like we’re going to see more of that over the next couple years, and I think we’re going to come to a resolution where creators are paid for their work and they have to be the ones giving permission to have their work be used.”

On the future of Patreon,  a membership platform that allows creators to receive ongoing funding from their fans, or patrons, in exchange for exclusive content and benefits, Conte said: “The future of Patreon is around those three categories, media tools, community tools and then the business tools for creators to get paid around their work.”

He described his dream creator economy as: “Being a creator is going to be celebrated as a reliable, respected profession, just like any other value-creating profession in the world.”

The discussion was one of hundreds at this year’s sold-out Web Summit. As well as 70,000 attendees, Web Summit 2024 is welcoming an unprecedented 3,000 startups – the largest startup turnout in Web Summit’s history. Among these startups, over 1,000 are founded by women. These startups will join more than 70,000 attendees, 1,000 investors and 2,000 media.

For any questions about this or any other Web Summit Lisbon content, please contact Sebastian Hamilton, Head of Public Affairs, on summaries@websummit.com

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