The future of the creator economy isn't about going viral

The first question at VidCon's annual "Creator Economy State of the Union" panel was predictable: AI or platforms — which will matter more to creators?

The answers were less predictable.

Rather than debating whether AI would reshape the creator economy, panelists seemed more interested in a different question: What separates creators who build audiences from those who build enduring businesses?

Their answer revealed just how much the industry has evolved. The creator economy is becoming less about internet fame and more about business fundamentals.

That meant conversations about first-party data instead of follower counts. Audience quality instead of reach. Intellectual property instead of one-off viral moments. Creators, the panelists argued, are no longer just content makers. They're entrepreneurs building brands, products, and media companies designed to outlast the platforms that made them famous.

AI is an enabler, not the story

Despite opening with AI, the panel landed on a surprisingly consistent message.

"AI is an enabler," said Viral Nation co-founder and co-CEO Mat Micheli. "AI isn't a replacement." He pushed back on the idea of AI-generated creators altogether, arguing that creators are, fundamentally, human.

Sophie Lightning Jamison, a creator and creator partnership lead at Anomaly, agreed, comparing AI to every other disruptive technology that's cycled through the industry.

"The thing that's consistent is that successful content creators have to be adaptable," she said.

For Jo Wong, chief revenue officer at POP.STORE, AI's value isn't replacing creators — it's helping solo entrepreneurs operate like larger businesses. Althea Lim, co-founder and group CEO of creator marketing agency Gushcloud, summed it up simply: platforms build audiences; AI builds efficiency.

That consensus felt notable. AI may dominate headlines, but the panelists talked about it less like a revolution and more like electricity: quietly powering everything else.

Followers aren't dead, but they're no longer enough

Micheli argued that follower count has become one of the industry's most outdated measurements, pointing instead to engagement, viewership, and audience behavior. A creator with 50,000 followers, he said, can easily outperform one with millions if they can actually move people to act.

Jamison offered a more nuanced take. In an algorithm-driven internet where people discover videos without following anyone, choosing to hit the follow button has become a stronger signal of intent than it once was.

The bigger shift, however, is that brands increasingly want to understand the entire customer journey — not just who watched a video, but who clicked, purchased, subscribed, or followed a creator somewhere else.

As Wong put it, creators aren't just personalities anymore. They're businesses.

The next generation of creators will think like media companies

Lim described today's most successful creators as "moguls," pointing to her client Snoop Dogg's decision to buy Death Row Records' catalog and transform "Gin and Juice" from a song into a consumer brand. That's the mindset she believes creators should adopt. If every piece of content is treated as intellectual property, it has the potential to become a product, a brand, or an entirely new business.

That philosophy shaped nearly every industry prediction the panel made for the next 12 to 18 months. Bet on first-party data. Invest in distribution. Repurpose content. Build IP. Don't be afraid to sell products. Learn how AI can amplify your workflow instead of replacing it.

Even trust — arguably the panel's most frequently cited buzzword — was framed less as an abstract feeling than a business asset. Trust comes from expertise, subject matter knowledge, and consistently delivering value, the panelists argued. It's also increasingly difficult to fake in an internet saturated with content.

The conversation ended with a bold prediction. "I don't think Hollywood is going to be a construct in the next decade," Micheli said, arguing that creators and actors are converging into the same category of entertainer.

That future already feels closer than it once did. Hollywood stars are chasing creator-style authenticity (just look at Timothée Chalamet and his Marty Supreme campaign), while creators are launching successful movies, consumer brands, podcasts, and production companies. The distinction between internet celebrity and traditional celebrity is becoming harder to define.

Jamison closed the panel with an even simpler prediction: "The term creator economy will not exist in the next few years."

If she's right, it won't be because creators disappeared. It'll be because every business, every brand, every executive — and maybe every entertainer — is expected to think like one.

Mashable is reporting live from VidCon 2026 in Anaheim. Follow our coverage for creator interviews, panel highlights, and the biggest moments from the convention floor.