Generative AI, Platform Stances, and Content Creator Behavior

Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies have emerged as a transformative force in the content creator economy. This paper examines how the AI stances signaled by specific platform policy decisions shape creator behavior on visual arts platforms. We leverage two independent natural experiments on leading Chinese platforms: Lofter’s launch of an AI image generator, which signaled a pro-AI stance, and Graffiti Kingdom’s prohibition of AI-generated artwork, which signaled an anti-AI stance. Our analysis shows that creators decreased their activity on Lofter following the AI generator launch, while activity increased on Graffiti Kingdom after the AI prohibition. Multiple lines of evidence show these effects stem from policy-communicated stance signaling: creators respond to what the focal AI policy communicates about AI’s role, the platform’s commitment to human creators, and the future competitive environment for human-created work, rather than merely to specific tool features or enforcement actions. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that higher-popularity, multi-homing, and AI-averse creators show larger activity reductions on Lofter. Through analysis of creator posts, we identify three primary concerns driving resistance: replacement risk, perceived low quality, and copyright infringement. To our knowledge, this is the first paper to causally identify how the AI stance signaled by a platform policy decision affects creator behavior. Our findings have implications for how platforms communicate AI-related policy decisions, and for policymakers on fostering a constructive relationship between AI and human creators.