Patreon CEO Jack Conte, a self-proclaimed proponent of technology and innovation, asserted his stance on artificial intelligence at the SXSW conference in Austin: he is not anti-AI. As the head of a technology company, Conte recognizes the inevitability of change and even finds excitement in navigating the evolving landscape. However, his acceptance of AI comes with a crucial condition: AI companies must compensate creators whose work is used to train their models.

Conte vehemently challenged the prevailing argument that using creators' work for AI training falls under 'fair use', labeling it as "bogus". He underscored this point by highlighting a perceived hypocrisy: while AI companies claim fair use justifies their utilization of individual creators' content without payment, they simultaneously engage in multimillion-dollar deals with major rights holders and publishers such as Disney, Condé Nast, Vox, and Warner Music. Conte posed a rhetorical question, "If it's legal to just use it, why pay?" This question exposes the inconsistency in AI companies' practices, questioning why large entities receive compensation while millions of illustrators, musicians, and writers, whose work contributes to hundreds of billions of dollars in value for these companies, do not.

Drawing parallels to historical shifts in the internet age, Conte positioned AI as another phase of disruption that creators have repeatedly faced and overcome. He referenced transitions like moving from purchasing music on iTunes to streaming, or the shift to vertical video formats popularized by platforms like TikTok. In each instance, established models were broken, yet creators found new ways to thrive. Conte, who founded Patreon precisely to address the challenge of ensuring creators are paid for their work, expressed a deep-seated belief that "change does not mean death," empowering creators to adapt and "go again."

Conte's advocacy for creator compensation is rooted not in a rejection of AI, but in its potential. He believes that because AI is good and represents the future, planning for humanity's future must include provisions for society's artists. He argued that societies that value and incentivize creativity are inherently better, benefiting everyone, not just the creators themselves. Using Patreon's vast community of hundreds of thousands of creators, Conte aims to amplify this argument and potentially secure a share of the payouts for their collective work.

The discussion concluded on an optimistic note regarding the future of human creativity. Conte expressed confidence that despite advancements in AI, humans will continue to create and appreciate the work of other humans for a long time. He distinguished true artistic innovation from the predictive capabilities of large language models (LLMs), stating, "Great artists don't play back what already exists... They stand on the shoulders of giants. They push culture forward."