In 2025, the creator economy is a multi-billion-dollar industry that spans everything from TikTok dance tutorials to AI-generated cooking shows. ExchangeWire reports that as 2025 ends the global creator economy's value is projected to top £190 billion, with U.S. ad spend alone hitting USD 37 billion. Influencer marketing investment has increased by 171% year-over-year, despite economic uncertainty. Creators now operate as professional businesses, and AI is helping them scale.
The audience appetite is equally ravenous. The Reuters Institute found that people under 35 are more likely to consume news via creators than through traditional media (48% vs. 41%). IPA research showed that creator campaigns deliver higher long-term return on investment than linear TV or paid social. No wonder brands are reallocating budgets; Unilever recently announced plans to increase creator investment twenty-fold. Meanwhile, the global creator economy market is forecast to grow from USD 253.1 billion in 2025 to USD 2,055.3 billion by 2035, an 8.1-fold expansion with a CAGR of 23.3%. Individual creators are predicted to capture 58.7% of the market, and video streaming platforms will account for about 30%. Short version: the train is just leaving the station.
But the future of the creator economy isn't purely human. More than six in ten creators worry that virtual influencers are increasing competition, even though 76% of consumers trust virtual influencers for product recommendations. Forbes notes that nearly 40% of video ads will use generative AI by 2026 and one in ten of the fastest-growing YouTube channels are entirely AI-made. "AI slop" may be filling feeds, but it's not resonating in the same way that a vlogger's confession does. The future is a duet: AI handles scalability and optimization, while humans bring the messiness that makes content compelling. As the Forbes piece cheekily suggests, content volume now outpaces human capacity, but more content doesn't equal better connection.
There are real economic incentives at play. Brands that treat creators as partners (not just ad slots) see outsized returns. For every dollar spent on influencer marketing they reap $5.78 in value. Yet 30% of brands still don't measure ROI, suggesting there's room for the industry to mature. Consumers are willing to pay up to 16% more for a better experience, and creators are uniquely positioned to curate those experiences, especially when they're empowered by AI tools that provide data-driven insights and analysis.
This is where hybrid approaches shine. Agencies like iklipse combine AI-infused production with senior creative oversight to deliver content that feels authentic at scale. The tech handles the speed; the humans handle the soul.
What does all this mean for brands and creators? First, "co-creation" is the future. Forbes argues that the real opportunity lies in blending human creativity with AI scale and optimizing content for generative engine optimization (GEO) so that it ranks in AI-driven search. ExchangeWire's experts predict that brands must let creators do what they do best and co-create content in natural, non-disruptive ways. Second, the battlefield is shifting: Under-35s are flocking to creators for news and entertainment, while advertisers are beginning to treat creators inside games as a mainstream channel.
There is humor in the juxtaposition. Lil Wayne concerts inspire business analogies; AI-generated cooking shows have millions of subscribers; and there's a growing market for virtual dogs to promote real dog food. But underneath the absurdity is a serious cultural shift. The creator economy blurs the line between media and community. It rewards authenticity and punishes "jukebox" content that feels generic. Brands that want to thrive must treat creators as extensions of their customer-experience ecosystem and invest in ongoing storytelling. In other words, be the live concert in a room full of jukeboxes.
