AI and talent in 2026: from exposure to leverage

Over the past year, almost every conversation I’ve had with talent, agents, brands or lawyers about AI has started in the same place: fear. There’s fear of deepfakes, fear of replacement, fear of losing control, fear of being left behind; all reactions that are completely understandable. We’re living through the fastest shift in both technology and how human creativity is captured, reproduced and scaled that any of us have seen.

What’s been interesting, though, is how quickly that fear is beginning to soften. In recent conversations we had in Los Angeles, where AI adoption across entertainment, advertising and tech feels further along, the tone is already changing. There’s still caution, but it’s increasingly paired with curiosity, experimentation, and a sense that real opportunity is starting to emerge for talent who engage early and thoughtfully.

By the end of 2026, I think the conversation will look very different. The risks won’t dominate the narrative in the same way, as talent moves from being exposed by AI to being empowered by it, a shift that will define the next chapter of the creator economy.

1. Talent will stop thinking about “AI protection” and start thinking about “AI strategy”

Over the past couple of years, most discussions around AI and talent have focused on protection: opt-outs, takedowns, and legal threats. These have been necessary early responses, but they’re ultimately defensive.

In 2026, I believe that the most successful talent won’t just be asking, “How do I stop this?” They’ll be asking, “How do I use this?” We’ll see a growing divide between talent who treat AI as something happening to them, and talent who treat AI as a new distribution and monetisation layer. Just as social media created new leverage for those who understood it early, AI will reward those who engage strategically rather than emotionally.

Crucially, this marks a mindset shift from seeing AI purely as a threat to recognising it as a tool that, when handled correctly, can expand reach, relevance and revenue.

2. Likeness will become a scalable asset, not just a legal concept

Historically, a person’s likeness has been difficult to scale. It’s tied to physical presence, time, and attention. AI breaks that constraint.

By 2026, it will be normal for talent to license aspects of their likeness - their voice, face, personality, style etc - in controlled, clearly defined ways. Not for everything, and not everywhere, but for specific use cases that align with their brand.

This won’t replace traditional work but instead will sit alongside it. Think multilingual fan engagement without endless filming days, or brand activations that don’t require international travel. It will allow for digital experiences that exist independently of the talent’s schedule.

The key shift here is psychological: likeness is moving from being something you guard to something you deploy, selectively and, increasingly, optimistically.

3. Agents will evolve from deal-makers to IP architects

Talent representation will change more in the next three years than it has in the last twenty.

In 2026, the most valuable agents won’t just negotiate fees and usage terms but will also help design IP strategies across human, digital and synthetic formats. They’ll understand where a client’s digital self should exist, and where it absolutely shouldn’t, and how it should be optimised. 

This will require new skill sets: fluency in AI platforms, comfort with technical language, and a deeper understanding of long-term rights management. Agents who lean into this role will become indispensable. 

Meanwhile, the biggest risk for agents who don’t adapt is opportunity cost for their clients, as brands and platforms increasingly partner with talent who can optimise AI safely, at scale.

4. Brands will be forced to grow up about usage rights

For years, usage rights have been treated as a footnote; something negotiated quickly, vaguely, and often ignored once content leaves the inbox. But the rise of AI is making usage rights impossible to ignore.

More and more, brands are beginning to feel real pressure to know exactly what they’re using, where it came from, and what they’re allowed to do with it, not only because of regulation, but because of reputation.

Meanwhile, audiences are becoming more aware of how content is created and reused. The idea that a brand could quietly repurpose a creator’s likeness across paid media, AI tools or synthetic content without consent will feel increasingly toxic.

5. Regulation will lag, making norms matter more than laws

Despite best efforts, regulation has struggled to keep pace with AI innovation. By 2026, there will be more guidance, more case law, and more regional frameworks, but as AI develops faster than laws, we will still see plenty of grey areas.

In that gap, industry norms will matter enormously. What is considered acceptable use? What counts as consent? What does “fair” look like when a digital replica can generate infinite outputs?

These norms won’t be set by governments. They’ll be shaped by early partnerships, public mistakes, high-profile lawsuits, and, most importantly, by talent and brands who choose to engage and help shape the industry rather than sit on the sidelines.

6. The biggest risk won’t be misuse, it will be invisibility

The loudest fear today is misuse: that someone’s face, voice or identity will be taken and exploited without permission. That risk is real. But in 2026, I believe an equally significant risk will emerge: invisibility.

Talent who refuse to engage with AI at all may find that audiences, platforms and even brands begin interacting with synthetic, scalable versions of creativity that feel more accessible, more personalised, and more available.

The challenge for talent won’t be competing with AI. It will be deciding where not to appear, and why.

Looking ahead

The next two years won’t be easy. There will be missteps, backlash and, sadly, some very public failures. But by 2026, the conversation around AI and talent will be more nuanced, more pragmatic, and most importantly, far more optimistic.

AI doesn’t have to strip talent of control. In many cases, it will do the opposite but only if the industry builds the right structures, expectations and ethics around it.

I believe the future isn’t about choosing between human creativity and artificial intelligence. It’s about defining how the two coexist and how that coexistence can unlock new opportunities for talent.

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