About Jack Conte
Jack Conte, CEO and co-founder of Patreon, has said in recent interviews that he feels depressed about generative AI models training on creators’ work without consent, credit, or compensation. He stated that the models “have absorbed the collective work of humanity and not compensated creators for any of that work,” comparing it to an earlier period when he felt artists were not being paid for publishing on the internet. He said he is hopeful that solutions could emerge through products, legislation, or consumer demand, but described the current moment as “another moment where creators take a right hook in the face.”
Conte also expressed dissatisfaction with how social media platforms treat creators, describing the experience of posting on algorithmic feeds as feeling like “a slot machine.” He said Patreon wants to offer an alternative that focuses on long-term relationships, human creation, and getting creators paid. Conte noted that Patreon uses AI tools internally to build products faster, and said that if he did not adopt those tools at a “blitzing clip,” Patreon would be “dead in 3 years.” He argued that the internet’s current incentives are “abusive” and predicted that policy changes would eventually be enacted to address the treatment of creators by technology platforms.
Source: AI-verified profile updated from Jack Conte's recent appearances.
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✨ AI-enhanced transcript with speaker attribution
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Narrator0:00
Hi guys, it's Shiny. The role of transparency is this year's theme at the Seattle Interactive Conference. It all became clear when I spoke to Jack Conte, a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, entrepreneur, filmmaker. Jack offers a unique perspective on music, technology, and transparency.
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Interviewer0:17
Why did you choose to come to a conference to talk about transparency?
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Jack Conte0:20
It has so much to do with what we're doing now. Patreon, I think, only works—this company only works—because of transparency, right? It only works because we're going to our fans and saying, 'Hey, here's exactly what's happening. I need help.' That's the whole point of crowdfunding. It's being open with people and telling them what's going on, and hopefully having them support you.
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Interviewer0:46
Well, tell me a bit more about the model, though. So you've got a differentiated model. I want to know more about it and how you back it up in terms of what...
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Jack Conte0:53
Sure. So, Kickstarter is an amazing platform and it works just so well if you are a particular kind of creator, right? If you're making an album or a movie, or you know, if you have a big project in mind and you need $100,000 or $150,000, you can do that. It's great. But what about the tens of thousands of creators that are coming into existence now on YouTube and webcomics, and you know, bloggers and vloggers? People who are making weekly content, right? Someone who's writing a blog doesn't need $250,000 up front. They need a salary. They need $5,000 a month. And so Patreon is about paying people per piece of content that they create on the web. It's free digital content, right? Anybody can enjoy it, but people cost money to live, right? And let's say you have a hundred thousand readers on your blog, the ad revenue from that just isn't enough to pay you.
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Interviewer1:55
Yeah, not sustainable. No, I have a theory which I think that brands are the new patrons of art. How does that feel for you?
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Jack Conte2:02
I'm so excited to hear you say that. I actually uploaded a video in 2010 about corporate America being the new Medici family. Yeah, basically, you know, all the great art that we've ever studied in school or seen, right, that we go to museums to look at, it's all because of patrons, right? Beethoven got paid to write his Fifth Symphony, right? Yes. And his patrons got their name in the program, right? And patronage has been around for thousands of years. I think it's now going to be corporate America and the corporate world. It's their responsibility, I think, to be this new funder of the arts. And the thing is, brands want it. They're already doing it. They just don't really quite understand how and why yet. But they think there's a lot of brand equity to be shared and the cool factor of associating yourself with an artist and with a creator who's making cool things.
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Interviewer3:00
You know, you're very much part of the maker's culture. I want to know more about you, the musician, because it all started out seemingly in, you know, in a dark room in the middle of nowhere, trying to get this stuff done. What inspired you to do that? Why'd you choose the path of a musician?
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Jack Conte3:14
I remember choosing that path. It was a horribly depressing day at college. I had just gone to a bunch of like engineering classes, and I had done the fast track my whole life—AP this and that. And I got to college and I started to do that again, and then I just realized that I just didn't want to do any of that, right? I just wanted to orchestrate and compose and write and record, and that's really what I loved. And I was so depressed because I remember some family members telling me, 'Jack, if there's anything else in the world that you can do, anything, do that instead of being a musician.' And that's basically what everybody's said to me my whole life. But there was nothing else I could do. I had to do that. I really wanted to do that.
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Interviewer4:04
Yeah, Jack, it's great to be able to see people who do what they love and love what they do. And I love your enthusiasm and I look forward to following your career, man. Thanks for spending some time with us.
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Jack Conte4:11
Thank you. Take care.
