As some culture sectors look to maintain strong rebound from COVID-19, the spectre of AI looms

Creative types have been on a wild roller-coaster ride since COVID-19 shut down the economy in early 2020. But the rebound from the lockdowns has been far from even. When measured by the change in real GDP and jobs, some culture domains have boomed, while others face an ongoing crisis.
Several sectors that did well make perfect sense. The pandemic kicked into high gear what was already strong growth in the video game business (part of the interactive media sector) as a bored nation looked for distractions — Animal Crossing, anyone? Sectors like design (which includes interior designers) and architecture also boomed, thanks to the explosion in home sales and renovations during the pandemic, though growth has slowed amid high interest rates.
Likewise, it’s no surprise live-event sectors had mixed recoveries. Employment in the performing arts and festivals is back, but businesses haven’t fully recovered when measured by real GDP.
Even within the same creative space, there are contradictions. While bookstores and printing shops (both included under “multi sub-domain”) have fared worst of all, the actual book sector—which includes e-books and audio books—has powered on. Canadians are still devouring books, just not in the same way they did in the past.
Yet, things are starting to look shaky for the overall culture sector. After peaking last year, real GDP and jobs have declined, reflecting a broader economic slowdown. And there could be another culture shock brewing: the rise of artificial intelligence. An onslaught of robo-artistry promises to disrupt many sectors. According to Statistics Canada, nearly one-quarter of businesses in the information and cultural industries already used AI in the first quarter of 2024.
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