Bectu: Impact of AI on creative industry workers

We’re gathering insights from Bectu members on how AI and generative AI are shaping work across the creative industries. Your experiences will help us understand the opportunities, challenges, and real‑world impact of these technologies on your role, your sector, and the future of creative work. Please take a few minutes to share your views.

All responses will be anonymous and information collected in this survey will be subject to Bectu's Privacy Policy: https://bectu.org.uk/privacy/

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* 1. Which of the following best describes your work status?

I am a full-time employee

I am a part-time employee

I am a freelancer

I am an employee on a fixed term contract

I am an employee on a zero hours contract

I work through my own limited company as a sole employee

I work through an agency

I am not currently working

I am retired

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* 2. Which of the following do you predominantly work in?

Film

Broadcasting

TV drama

Theatre

Live events

Unscripted/factual TV

Commercials

Arts (Art galleries, art centres etc)

Fashion

Cinemas

Gaming

None of the above

Other (please specify)

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* 3. What is your job title/ role?

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* 4. Are you a Bectcu member?

Yes

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* 5. What is your average annual income before tax from work in the creative industries?

Under £10,000

£10,000 to £20,000

£20,001 to £30,000

£30,001 to £40,000

£40,001 to £50,000

£50,001 to £60,000

Over £60,000

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* 6. Are you currently working?

Yes

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* 7. For how many years have you worked in the creative industries?

2 or less

3-5 years

6-10 years

11-15 years

16+ years

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* 8. In what region do you currently/usually work?

Wales

Scotland

Northern Ireland

London

South East

South West

West Midlands

North West

North East

Yorkshire and the Humber

East Midlands

East of England

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* 9. How positively or negatively do you feel about the impact of artificial intelligence / AI on the industry you work in, over the next five years?

Very positive

Positive

Neither positive nor negative

Negative

Very negative

Don't know

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* 10. Which of the following best describes how you feel about the impact of artificial intelligence / AI on your own job security?

Very concerned

Somewhat concerned

Not concerned

AI could create new opportunities

AI will create a lot of new opportunities

Don’t know

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* 11. To what extent are you concerned about the environmental impact of artificial intelligence / AI?

Very concerned

Concerned

Not very concerned

Not at all concerned

Unsure

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* 12. To what extent are you concerned about the impact of reproduced bias (for example racism, sexism, ageism etc) through the use of artificial intelligence / AI?

Very concerned

Concerned

Not very concerned

Not at all concerned

Unsure

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* 13. To what extent are you concerned about the impact of artificial intelligence / AI on audience trust in factual output such as news/current affairs/documentaries?

Very concerned

Concerned

Not very concerned

Not at all concerned

Unsure

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* 14. Which of the following best describes your current exposure to generative AI in your work?

I regularly use generative AI tools myself at work

AI tools are used in my workplace, but I don’t directly use them myself

AI tools are used by clients or commissioners I work with

I am aware of AI tools but don’t currently use them in my work

I am not sure

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* 15. How have you used generative AI in your own work? Select any that apply

I have used it to generate text

I have used it to generate/ edit images

I have used it to generate/edit sound

I have used it to produce/edit video content

I have used it in another way

I have not used generative AI in my work

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* 16. If you use AI either personally or professionally, what do you use it for?

Writing or script development

Editing or post-production

Research or development

Transcription, captioning, or translation

Image, audio, or video generation

Administrative or production management tasks

Pitching or funding applications

Job applications or career advice

Marketing or audience engagement

Contracting or legal processes

Other

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* 17. Thinking about the way AI can be used at work, have you experienced any of the following? Select all that apply

Reduced control or oversight of parts of my work

Increased workload due to correcting AI-generated errors

Lack of transparency about how AI systems make decisions

Privacy or data-security concerns

Job role changes that feel disruptive or unclear

Improved efficiency or faster completion of tasks

AI-generated information or advice that is misleading

Opportunities for learning new skills or tools involving AI

Unclear guidelines on when or how to use AI

Concerns about fairness, bias, or ethics in AI use

Changes to performance expectations or tasks due to AI

None of the above

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* 18. Which skills do you think will become more important for creative workers because of AI advancements?

Creative direction and editorial judgement

AI supervision or quality control

Prompt writing or working alongside AI tools

Understanding copyright and IP law

Negotiating contracts involving AI

Ethical decision-making

Detecting AI-generated or manipulated content

Technical understanding of AI tools

Business, career, or freelance resilience skills

Collaboration and communication

Other

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* 19. What support would help you adapt to AI-related changes in your work?

Training on specific AI tools

Training on legal and copyright issues

Clear workplace or industry guidelines on AI use

Union-negotiated standards on AI use

Career transition or redeployment support

Support for detecting AI-generated content, such as deepfakes

Negotiating contracts for AI-assisted work

Ethical guidelines for AI use in production

Other

I do not feel I need additional support

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* 20. How important is it for you that your trade union to take action on the following issues related to AI?

	Very important	Important	Neutral	Not very important	Not important
Job security and protection from displacement	Job security and protection from displacement Very important	Job security and protection from displacement Important	Job security and protection from displacement Neutral	Job security and protection from displacement Not very important	Job security and protection from displacement Not important
Fair pay when AI is used in production	Fair pay when AI is used in production Very important	Fair pay when AI is used in production Important	Fair pay when AI is used in production Neutral	Fair pay when AI is used in production Not very important	Fair pay when AI is used in production Not important
Protection of copyright and intellectual property	Protection of copyright and intellectual property Very important	Protection of copyright and intellectual property Important	Protection of copyright and intellectual property Neutral	Protection of copyright and intellectual property Not very important	Protection of copyright and intellectual property Not important
Consent for use of workers’ past work or data	Consent for use of workers’ past work or data Very important	Consent for use of workers’ past work or data Important	Consent for use of workers’ past work or data Neutral	Consent for use of workers’ past work or data Not very important	Consent for use of workers’ past work or data Not important
Transparency about AI use by employers/clients	Transparency about AI use by employers/clients Very important	Transparency about AI use by employers/clients Important	Transparency about AI use by employers/clients Neutral	Transparency about AI use by employers/clients Not very important	Transparency about AI use by employers/clients Not important
Limits on unacceptable uses of AI	Limits on unacceptable uses of AI Very important	Limits on unacceptable uses of AI Important	Limits on unacceptable uses of AI Neutral	Limits on unacceptable uses of AI Not very important	Limits on unacceptable uses of AI Not important
Access to training and reskilling	Access to training and reskilling Very important	Access to training and reskilling Important	Access to training and reskilling Neutral	Access to training and reskilling Not very important	Access to training and reskilling Not important
Protection against bias and discrimination	Protection against bias and discrimination Very important	Protection against bias and discrimination Important	Protection against bias and discrimination Neutral	Protection against bias and discrimination Not very important	Protection against bias and discrimination Not important
Environmental impact of AI technologies	Environmental impact of AI technologies Very important	Environmental impact of AI technologies Important	Environmental impact of AI technologies Neutral	Environmental impact of AI technologies Not very important	Environmental impact of AI technologies Not important
Mental health and workload impacts	Mental health and workload impacts Very important	Mental health and workload impacts Important	Mental health and workload impacts Neutral	Mental health and workload impacts Not very important	Mental health and workload impacts Not important

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* 21. Is there anything else you would like to tell us about how AI is currently impacting you and your work?

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* 22. What is your age?

Under 18

18-24

25-34

35-44

45-54

55-64

65+

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* 23. Which of the following best describes your gender?

Woman

Man

Non-binary

Prefer not to say

Self describe

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* 24. How would you describe your sexual orientation?

Lesbian

Gay

Bisexual

Queer

Heterosexual

Prefer Not to Say

Self-describe

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* 25. Choose one option that best describes your ethnic group or background

White: English/Welsh/Scottish/Northern Irish/British

White: Irish

Gypsy or Irish Traveller

Mixed/Multiple ethnic groups: White and Black Caribbean

Mixed/Multiple ethnic groups: White and Black African

Mixed/Multiple ethnic groups: White and Asian

Asian/Asian British

Asian/Asian British: Indian

Asian/Asian British: Pakistani

Asian/Asian British: Bangladeshi

Asian/Asian British: Chinese

Black/ Black British: African

Black/Black British: Caribbean

Other ethnic group

Arab

Prefer not to say

Any other White background, please describe

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* 26. Do you consider yourself to have a disability?

Yes

Prefer not to say

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* 27. Are you a parent or carer? Select any

I am a parent

I am a carer

Prefer not to say

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* 28. Do you consider yourself to be from a working class background?

Yes

Prefer not to say