Jack Conte

CEO & Co-Founder, Patreon

Search every verified Jack Conte interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Jack Conte, CEO and co-founder of Patreon, has been discussing the impact of artificial intelligence on creators and the platform's evolution. In interviews, Conte described AI models that have "absorbed the collective work of humanity and not compensated creators for any of that work," citing the example of Studio Ghibli. He said that while he is not anti-AI and Patreon uses the tools internally, he believes the current situation "needs to change." Conte also expressed concern that social media has "bifurcate[d] humanity into two camps on every issue" and that this has happened with AI, making people "almost too afraid to even talk about how we're using the tools." He argued that boycotting AI is "not a good strategy" and that if Patreon does not "fully embrace these tools and use them to give the power back to creators," the company "will be dead in 3 years." Conte also addressed changes to Patreon's platform, describing a shift away from follower-based feeds. He stated that he does not consider Patreon a social media app, calling social media "a failed experiment that has failed humanity and been really bad for humans." Reflecting on his background as an artist, Conte said that in Silicon Valley, people "undervalue brand and narrative and creativity and storytelling," and that he believes it is possible to "make art and also to want to get paid for your art." He described his mission as helping creative people understand "that they have meaning in the world."