September 16, 2025
Toronto, ON – Work in Culture has released a new research report, “AI for Administration in Ontario’s Creative Industries: A Snapshot of Current Use, Concerns, and Considerations,” which explores how AI tools are being used for business and administrative tasks across Ontario’s film and television, book and magazine publishing, music, and interactive digital media sectors.
Commissioned by Work in Culture and developed in partnership with strategy and research firm Nordicity and AI advisor Avery Swartz, and with the generous support of Ontario Creates, this report offers vital insights into how Ontario’s creative industries are navigating the complex landscape of AI. It highlights AI’s potential to streamline tasks and increase efficiency, while also surfacing some of the ethical questions and concerns raised by creative professionals across the province.
The research shows that AI adoption is already widespread, as 79%[1] of the creative professionals surveyed report at least some use of AI tools in their work, with nearly half (46%) using AI tools “often” or “very often.” The primary motivation is clear: 86% use AI to increase productivity or save time on operational tasks like writing, documentation, and marketing. However, respondents also point to broader motivations: 32% use AI to improve quality, and 27% to support learning and experimentation. A smaller, yet notable, number use AI to enhance customer service or gain a competitive edge.
Specific promising applications range from copyright enforcement and piracy detection in music to AI-assisted lip syncing for translation. Most current users see AI tools as functionally significant for tasks like research, communications, and project management. Together, these findings suggest that AI is already playing a practical and evolving role in easing the administrative burden and supporting creative work in a resource-constrained sector.
Looking ahead, most respondents anticipate that AI will become even more important across operational roles in the next three years. This perspective signals a belief in AI’s ability to help Ontario’s creative industries stay competitive, especially by enabling small organizations to scale and adapt. Some respondents emphasized that learning to use AI effectively may soon be considered an essential skill in the sector.
But while many are optimistic, the report also reveals a critical gap: most workplaces have little formal structure around AI use. Among survey respondents, 74% report having no AI policy in place, and 86% say they lack training or support. This means that many creative professionals are navigating AI’s complexities on their own, often without organizational guidance or frameworks.
Crucially, the study emphasizes that ethical concerns remain “front and centre” for many participants, impacting users and non-users alike. The most commonly cited barriers to adoption are data privacy and security risks (57%) and general mistrust of AI tools (50%). Issues such as copyright infringement, consent, bias in AI tools, and environmental impact were also frequently cited, with some participants expressing concern that AI’s “derivative nature” could limit innovation and creativity by reinforcing sameness. The research notes that for some, any use of AI, even for administrative tasks, can’t be separated from broader ethical concerns around how AI tools have been trained and what safeguards are in place.
Importantly, the report also highlights a segment of non-users who have chosen not to engage with AI at all. These professionals are “deeply troubled by generative AI’s reliance on material scraped from artists and creators without consent” and feel that using AI, even for routine tasks, would make them “complicit in practices they cannot support.” The report calls for these perspectives to be acknowledged and respected within broader sector conversations.
In response to these findings, the report outlines three interconnected opportunities for action to support responsible and ethical AI adoption across the sector:
- Launch a foundational AI literacy initiative to equip creative professionals with a baseline understanding of how AI systems work, their implications, and best practices.
- Support the development of AI policies to help organizations create clear and responsible internal guidelines for AI use, contributing to broader sector-level policy discussions.
- Provide ongoing training and resources to demystify AI technology and offer practical guidance on critical issues like AI hallucinations, algorithmic bias, data privacy, and effective prompting strategies.
“This study provides a vital snapshot of how Ontario’s creative industries are engaging with AI and embracing its practical benefits while grappling with its profound ethical implications,” said Diane Davy, Executive Director of Work in Culture. “Our goal is to empower the sector with the knowledge and tools it needs to make thoughtful, values-driven decisions about AI, ensuring that creators remain at the centre and are equitably supported in this evolving landscape.”
The “AI for Administration in Ontario’s Creative Industries” research report is essential reading for anyone looking to understand the current state and future trajectory of AI in the creative sector.
To download the full report and explore its findings and recommendations, visit workinculture.ca/resource/ai-for-administration.
[1] Based on 106 usable survey responses, 2025.
About Work in Culture
Work in Culture is a non-profit arts service organization that advances the careers of artists, creatives, and cultural workers from diverse lived experiences, and supports the organization that engages them, through entrepreneurial and business skills development and innovative research. Learn more at workinculture.ca.
About Nordicity
Nordicity is a leading international consulting firm providing private and public sector clients with solutions for economic analysis, strategy and business, and policy and regulation across three priority sectors: arts, culture and heritage; creative industries; and digital strategy and innovation. Nordicity has over four decades of research experience and has been actively engaged in the development of feasibility studies, program evaluations, industry profiles, sector strategies and strategic plans, and economic and social impact assessments for a variety of clients in the cultural and creative industries across Canada and internationally. Learn more at nordicity.com.
The research team for this project was Julie Whelan, Gaeby Abrahams, and Brian Christensen.
About Avery Swartz
Avery Swartz is a technology educator, author, and consultant with expertise in technology and business. She is the founder and CEO of Camp Tech, the tech workshop company that has delivered practical tech training for small businesses and charities for over a decade. Avery is the author of the book See You on the Internet: Building Your Small Business with Digital Marketing. She has hosted Microsoft’s AI Meets World podcast and frequently contributes to CTV and CBC Radio, offering insights on technology for Canadian audiences. Learn more at averyswartz.com.
About Ontario Creates
Ontario Creates is an agency of the Government of Ontario that facilitates economic development, investment and collaboration in Ontario’s creative industries, including the music, book, magazine, film, television and interactive digital media sectors. Learn more at ontariocreates.ca.
For more information, please contact:
Brianne DiAngelo
Marketing and Communications Manager
Work in Culture
[email protected]