Academy of Art University Survey Shows Majority of Americans Believe Creative Skills Will Thrive in the Age of AI

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Jan 11, 2023, 10:00 ET

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A new survey conducted by the Academy of Art University, which polled over 1,000 Americans aged 18-65, found that creative skills are perceived as the most valuable to combat an impending AI takeover.

According to the survey, over half (54%) feel that creativity is their best chance at career longevity seeing creative skills outweigh both physical and technical skills in its ability to remain irreplaceable as AI and robotics become increasingly pervasive in the workplace.

"This survey is a clear reminder of the importance of valuing creativity and cultivating art and design skills in the age of AI," said Elisa Stephens, President of Academy of Art University. "As technology increasingly replaces human labor across multiple job sectors, it is crucial that we shift our educational focus to developing creative skills, and the role they play in driving success in the 21st century workplace."

Over 90% of those who expressed an opinion believe they are creative and over half feel most valued in their lives for their creative skills (53%) rather than their physical or technical skills. Interestingly, only 16% of men feel valued for their physical abilities.

The survey also looked at American's perceptions on the future of work, careers and education.

When it comes to education, of those who expressed an opinion, 82% believe that a four year college degree remains a major advantage for young people to achieve their career goals. Lack of self belief is the highest cited reason for Americans not to have achieved the education they want or would have wanted (41%). This is seen as more of a limiting factor than mental/physical disabilities (24%), poor grades (20%), or racial discrimination (9%).

When asked about the fastest route to reach their career goals, 1 in 4 men believe that breaking the rules offered an advantage over following them, while for women, 82% believe following rules was the fastest way to success.

Other key findings include:

86% of people believe themselves, rather than others, to be their biggest barrier to success;
Almost two thirds believe mental strength is the most important quality to overcome life's challenges (63%), outweighing financial security (20%), physical strength (9%) and creativity (8%);
Half of all millennials polled believe they have the job they always dreamed of, which is more than any other generation alive today. Comparatively only just over a third (37%) of GenXers have the same opinion; and

Broken down by gender, over half of the men surveyed professed to having the job they always dreamed of while only ⅓ of females felt the same way.

The full results of the survey can be found here.

For more information, please visit https://www.academyart.edu/

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About Academy of Art University

Established in 1929, Academy of Art University is one of the largest private, accredited art and design schools in the nation. Located in San Francisco, the epicenter of culture and technology, Academy of Art University offers more than 129 accredited degree programs—available online and on-campus—spanning 70 areas of study, including entertainment arts, advertising, fashion, architecture, game development, music, communications, photography, and more.

SOURCE Academy of Art University