Luma, a multimodal general intelligence platform, today released its inaugural “State of Creative Professionals and AI: 2026” report at Brandweek, providing one of the most comprehensive looks at how creative professionals are integrating artificial intelligence into their work. The study finds that AI has moved firmly into the mainstream of creative work, with 81% of creative professionals reporting they have released content created with AI assistance. Yet the findings, based on a survey of 760 U.S. creative professionals spanning agencies, brands, production companies and freelance creators, also reveal that widespread adoption does not necessarily translate into deep integration or unquestioned trust.
More than six in ten respondents (62%) say they are concerned about becoming too reliant on AI at the expense of human creativity, highlighting a growing debate across the industry about where automation belongs in the creative process.
“The question for creative teams is no longer whether to use AI. It’s where AI creates value and where human judgment should stay firmly in control,” said Caroline Ingeborn, Chief Operating Officer of Luma. “The findings show that creatives are embracing AI’s potential, but they’re also sending a clear message: creativity, taste, storytelling and judgment remain fundamentally human.”
AI Is Here, But The Industry Is Still Learning How To Use It
Among the report’s most significant findings:
- 81% of creative professionals have released AI-generated or AI-assisted content.
- 71% say AI creates more benefits than drawbacks for productivity.
- 40% say AI improves both efficiency and creative quality.
- 62% are very or extremely concerned about overreliance on AI at the expense of human creativity.
- 72% rate their access to AI tools as good or excellent, yet training and workflow integration lag behind.
- Organizations evaluated an average of 6.1 AI tools, adopted 4.3, and discontinued 2.9 over the past year, reflecting ongoing experimentation across the market.
While many organizations have solved the challenge of tool access, they’ve not yet solved the challenge of integrating AI into creative workflows in a structured, measurable way. More than half of respondents report their organizations lack a formal process for evaluating and approving AI tools.
Leaders Stand Out By Going Deeper
The research identifies a significant gap between organizations leading in AI adoption and those still struggling to implement it effectively.
Among respondents categorized as “AI Leaders,” 78% have released video projects in which AI generated most or all of the content, compared with just 11% of AI Laggards.
The findings suggest that leaders are not necessarily winning because they use more tools. Instead, they are integrating AI more deeply into content creation while maintaining human oversight and creative direction.
AI Is Reshaping Agency Economics
The study also highlights growing tension between agencies and brands around AI’s impact on the value of creative services.
More than half of agency respondents (55%) expect AI to justify higher fees due to increased creative output and capabilities. Meanwhile, 53% of brand-side respondents expect their organizations to reduce agency spending because internal AI tools will make more work possible in-house.
The findings point to a rapidly evolving agency-client relationship where the value of creative work may increasingly be measured by outcomes, strategic thinking and creative judgment rather than production alone.
