According to Adobe’s Creators’ Toolkit 2026 survey of more than 16,000 creators in eight countries, including France and Germany, 75% of them describe generative AI as an integrated or essential part of their workflow. The main reason is speed. 93% of respondents credit it with faster content creation.

Adobe, which develops its own Firefly tool, also points to the effect on growth. 87% of creators attribute growth in their business or follower count to generative AI. “Eighty-seven percent of creators say creative AI has accelerated the growth of their business and follower base,” said Mike Polner, VP and head of product marketing for creators at Adobe.

The author remains human

High adoption does not mean AI is taking over the creative work. 85% of creators believe the final creative decisions should stay with them, and 81% consider human judgement essential for taste. According to 57% of respondents, output still needs moderate to extensive editing before it goes out. AI speeds things up, but the last word belongs to the human.

Where creators diverge is in their openness about using AI. 49% of them always or often disclose it, while 18% rarely or never do. 90% of respondents want copyright protection for works created with the help of AI.

Where it meets European regulation

The sample includes France and Germany, so the figures can also be read as applying to European creators. Disclosure and copyright are exactly the points targeted by European rules on labelling AI content and by the debate over compensation for the data that models learn from. The survey shows where creators stand on both questions before the framework fully settles.

Generative AI adoption among creators is high and driven by speed. The final decision on the outcome stays with the human, and it remains an open question how use will be disclosed and who will own the results.

By Tereza Tiller