How AI is Reshaping Global Culture and Creativity

In 2023, an AI-generated image of Pope Francis wearing a Balenciaga puffer jacket went viral. The photo was fake, but the cultural ripple effect was real—sparking debates about authenticity, creativity, and the future of art. This moment wasn’t just a blip in the internet’s endless scroll; it was a signpost for a seismic shift. Artificial intelligence isn’t just changing how we create culture; it’s redefining what culture even means. From TikTok trends to indigenous language preservation, AI is quietly reshaping the stories we tell, the traditions we keep, and the way we understand our shared humanity. Let’s explore how algorithms are becoming the new curators, artists, and custodians of global culture—and what we stand to gain (or lose) in the process. AI and culture

AI as Cultural Curator: The Algorithm Shaping Your Taste

Every time you scroll through Netflix, Spotify, or Instagram, you’re not just browsing content—you’re negotiating with an AI that’s meticulously profiling your preferences. These platforms don’t just reflect culture; they actively shape it by amplifying certain voices, trends, and narratives while suppressing others.

Case Study: The TikTok-ification of Everything
TikTok’s algorithm is arguably the most influential cultural gatekeeper of our time. It turned sea shanties into global anthems, made niche subcultures mainstream (see: “cottagecore”), and turned ordinary users into overnight celebrities. But there’s a catch: TikTok’s AI prioritizes virality over depth. Songs are shortened to 15-second hooks, complex ideas reduced to bite-sized “hot takes,” and local traditions repackaged as exoticized trends. The result? A homogenized global culture where the quirkiest, loudest, or most algorithm-friendly content rises to the top—often at the expense of nuance and diversity.

The Museum of the Future
Even highbrow cultural institutions are leaning on AI. The Smithsonian now uses machine learning to digitize artifacts and predict which exhibits will draw crowds. Meanwhile, startups like Artrendex train AI to analyze art market trends, effectively predicting what styles or artists will become “valuable” (read: profitable). But when algorithms dictate what art gets seen—or funded—are we outsourcing our cultural judgment to machines?

AI as Creator: The Rise of Synthetic Culture

From AI-written novels winning literary prizes to algorithms composing symphonies, machines are no longer just tools for artists—they’re becoming artists themselves.

The Good, the Bad, and the Uncanny

• Music: Platforms like Boomy let users generate original songs in seconds, democratizing music creation. But when an AI clone of Drake and The Weeknd’s song “Heart on My Sleeve” went viral, it sparked panic about erasing human artistry.
• Visual Art: Tools like DALL-E and MidJourney have turned casual users into digital Picassos. Yet Indigenous communities are using these same tools to reimagine lost ancestral art styles, blending tradition with AI to revive cultural heritage.
• Literature: ChatGPT can now write poetry, screenplays, and even “autobiographies” of historical figures. But when Amazon flooded with AI-generated books in 2023—many plagiarizing human authors—it exposed a crisis of originality.

Who Owns Culture?
When an AI trained on centuries of African sculptures generates a new piece, who owns it? The algorithm’s creators? The cultures it borrowed from? Or no one at all? These questions are tearing open old debates about cultural appropriation and intellectual property in the digital age.

AI as Conservator: Preserving (and Weaponizing) Heritage

While AI can commodify culture, it’s also being weaponized as a tool for preservation—and erasure.

Resurrecting Lost Languages
Projects like First Languages Australia use AI to analyze recordings of endangered Indigenous languages, helping communities reclaim linguistic heritage. Similarly, Google’s Woolaroo app uses image recognition to teach users words from fading languages like Louisiana Creole and Yiddish.

Deepfakes and Digital Colonialism
On the flip side, AI can also distort cultural memory. Deepfake technology has been used to manipulate historical footage, like a viral (and false) video of JFK condemning modern politics. In authoritarian regimes, AI-generated propaganda rewrites national histories, erasing dissent and enshrining state-approved narratives.

The Cultural Divide: Who Gets to Shape the Future?

AI’s cultural impact isn’t evenly distributed. The Global North’s tech giants—and their biases—dominate the algorithms shaping global culture.

The Emoji Test
Even something as universal as emojis reveal AI’s cultural blind spots. Facial recognition systems still struggle with non-white features, and AI-generated images default to Eurocentric beauty standards. When OpenAI’s DALL-E was asked to depict “a CEO,” it overwhelmingly produced images of white men in suits—a stark reminder of whose stories these systems are designed to tell.

Grassroots Resistance
Communities are fighting back. In New Zealand, Māori technologists are building AI models trained on Te Reo (Māori language) and oral histories. In India, artists use AI to subvert colonial-era art norms, creating digital works that blend traditional motifs with futuristic themes. These efforts aren’t just about representation—they’re about reclaiming agency in a world where culture is increasingly algorithmically mediated.

The Future of Culture: Coexistence or Takeover?

Scenario 1: The Algorithmic Homogenization
A worst-case future where AI flattens cultural diversity into a single, marketable “global” culture—think K-pop meets Starbucks, optimized for maximum profit. Local traditions become tourist attractions, and creativity is reduced to whatever trends the algorithm promotes.

Scenario 2: The Renaissance 2.0
An optimistic vision where AI acts as a collaborator, not a competitor. Imagine Indigenous storytellers using AI to animate ancient myths, or musicians blending AI-generated beats with traditional instruments. Here, technology amplifies human creativity instead of replacing it.

The Hybrid Horizon
The reality will likely be messy and in-between. As author Naomi Klein warns: “AI could be the ultimate extractive industry—mining our collective culture for data.” But it doesn’t have to be. The key lies in who controls the technology—and who gets to define what “culture” means in the age of machines.

Conclusion

AI is neither a savior nor a villain in the story of human culture—it’s a mirror, reflecting our best and worst impulses. It can commodify and homogenize, yes, but it can also preserve, innovate, and empower. The challenge ahead isn’t just technical; it’s deeply human. How do we harness AI to celebrate diversity rather than erase it? To amplify marginalized voices instead of silencing them? The answers will determine whether our cultural future is a rich tapestry or a sterile algorithm—and whether humanity remains the author of its own story.