“Scary”: Creators like Ankush Bahuguna say AI will standardize content and slash payouts

From subtitles and scipts to deepfakes and avatars, artificial intelligence is rapidly drawing the contours of the creator economy – and not all creators are thrilled.

At a special edition of Media Dialogues with Storyboard18, Editor Delshad Irani led a riveting discussion with content creators Ankush Bahuguna, Shibani Bedi, and Raj Grover. The trio, who’ve built loyal digital audiences through comedy, beauty, and everyday relatability, got real about the impact of AI on creativity, individuality, and the future of their craft.

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“I think it’s going to standardize the creator industry in a way where it’s probably not as creative anymore,” said Ankush Bahuguna. “The monies that we will make will be much lesser… brands can now just buy your face, your voice, and created ads using AI tools without you turning up on set. That’s scary.”

While tools like auto-subtitling and content packaging bring efficiency, the creators drew a clear line when it came to authenticity. “You can’t make AI do everything on your behalf,” Bahuguna stressed. “Use it for the things that make your work faster – subtitles, graphics, editing – but your voice and the one liners? That has to come from you.”

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Raj Grover agreed, cautioning against AI for scripting: “People like us got famous because we wrote that content in our own way and said it in our own voice. They like us speaking that.” He added that over-reliance on AI might make all the creators sound the same. “A normal human being is not an actor who can just read it and then do it in his way.”

Shibani Bedi echoed the concerns. “The scope of us leaning into AI is just this much – maybe editing or packaging. But there are tools now that can create an entire film setup for Rs 5 lakhs a month. That’s a lot of jobs at risk.” She added, “It’s evolving very fast. We don’t even know what the next year will look like.”

The conversation took a sobering turn when the panellists discussed deepfakes and misuse of their likeness. “Recently, I saw some influencer’s photo which looked like a great photoshoot – and later I found out it was all AI,” said Bahuguna. “This person did not wear these clothes, did not go to that location.”

Bedi added recounting a similar episode, “I know a fellow creator whose deepfake cideo was all over the internet being used by a brand.”

But amidst the paranoia, there was also pragmatism. Bahuguna said, “We have to keep up with the time. It’s a skill to be authentic while using these tools. The real win is capturing attention without losing yourself.”

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