\u2013 and it\u2019s an opportunity not to be missed, says Fanvue co-founder Will Monange<\/p>\n
Matt Emma
\n\u00a0|\u00a0 Contributor<\/p>\n
For more than a decade, the creator economy has been hailed as the great democratizer of digital culture. \u00a0\u00a0It\u2019s already a $250 billion market \u2013 a sum projected to nearly double by 2027.[1]\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0Millions of content creators, from fitness coaches to comedians and gamers to lifestyle gurus, now make a living on subscription creator platforms such as Fanvue, connecting with fans through their talents and passions.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0But for all its promise, the industry has also revealed its cracks. \u00a0\u00a0Creators can wrestle with feast-or-famine income, grueling admin work, and platforms that too often siphon off value. \u00a0\u00a0The so-called \u201cfreedom\u201d of online creativity often comes shackled to a 24\/7 grind and limited earning opportunities.\u00a0\u00a0Will Monange, Co-Founder of subscription creator platform, Fanvue, believes the fix isn\u2019t more hustle, but more help \u2013 from AI powered tools.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Monange said: \u201cContent creators\u2019 main source of income has traditionally come from brand deals, affiliate marketing, and selling their own products or services.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis revenue stream often requires middlemen, who take a big cut and quite frankly, it\u2019s becoming like the wild west. AI can put all the power in the hands of the creator, enabling them to own their success fully.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Fanvue, which was just named Fastest-Growing Company of the Year, Europe, at the 2025 International Business Awards\u2122, has invested heavily in AI engineers to help the platform define a whole new category in the creator economy: The Creator AI Economy.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Monange said: \u201cCreators are turning their attention to AI tools because they know it\u2019s a faster, more independent route to growing their fanbases at scale, and keeping more upside.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIn that way, AI democratises the creator economy. The technology isn\u2019t here to replace creators, it\u2019s here to give them more ownership over their businesses\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0AI has become a taboo topic in the creative industries, and fears over machines replacing human ingenuity is a well-documented territory.\u00a0\u00a0But among content creators, its role is starting to look less dystopian, and much more pragmatic.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0Nearly a quarter of content creators already use AI to streamline workflows, according to Net Influencer.[2]\u00a0\u00a0Fanvue is home to over 180,000 creators globally \u2013 who are using bespoke AI tools to engage with fans, schedule posts and crunch analytics to help them scale their business and earn more.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It\u2019s the kind of behind-the-scenes demands that eat up the very hours needed for actual creativity. \u00a0\u00a0This shift reframes AI less as a rival to creators and more as their back-office support.\u00a0<\/p>\n
AI Influencers entering the mainstream\u00a0<\/p>\n
Perhaps the most headline-grabbing example of AI\u2019s impact is the rise of digital influencers \u2013 virtual personalities with their own followings and brand partnerships. \u00a0\u00a0Aitana Lopez, the pink-haired creation from Barcelona-based studio TheClueless, now has hundreds of thousands of fans and a growing livestream presence.[3]\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0Fanvue has been quick to on-board lifestyle AI Influencers such as Aitana Lopez, Seren Ay and Olivia C \u2013 alongside human creators using AI tools on the platform.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0For Monange, the real story isn\u2019t the uncanny avatars themselves, but what they represent.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0He added: \u201cRegardless of your background, if you\u2019re passionate and have a desire to create, you can now connect with fans at scale and earn more than was possible before \u2013 and AI enables that.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The real prize: freedom\u00a0<\/p>\n
Monange, alongside his Co-Founder and former YouTuber, Joel Morris, are bullish their decision to \u201cown\u201d the Creator AI Economy is going to unlock the earnings potential of millions of creators.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Monange said: \u201cThe Fanvue vision is clear. AI is not replacing human creativity \u2013 it\u2019s about preserving it, by stripping away the noise, and giving creators an ecosystem of AI powered tools so they have more ownership of their careers.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u201cFor millions of creators around the world, the most radical promise of AI isn\u2019t more content. It\u2019s freedom.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFreedom from burnout, freedom from bottlenecks and the freedom to spend their time on the work only they can do.\u201d<\/p>\n
[1] https:\/\/www.goldmansachs.com\/insights\/articles\/the-creator-economy-could-approach-half-a-trillion-dollars-by-2027<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n [2] https:\/\/www.netinfluencer.com\/bereal-the-creator-economy-ma-landscape-in-2024\/<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n