SPI Publishes Sixth CoSTAR Creative Technologies International Scan
Olsberg•SPI (SPI) has published the sixth in a series of Creative Technologies International Scans, looking at the adoption of technologies in gaming, television, film, performance and digital entertainment across the globe.
The report provides a comprehensive overview of some of the most significant investments and developments from markets outside of the UK between January and March 2026 (Q1). Topics cover policy and regulation, workforce and skills, facilities and infrastructure, sustainability as well as technological advancements and adoption.
Key Findings:
AI, Regulation and Creative Labour
AI policy is prioritising operational rules on disclosure, consent and human accountability. Governments are moving from high-level ethical principles to concrete compliance requirements that directly affect how screen, games, music and immersive businesses use generative AI tools.
Creator income protection is becoming a central concern in international policy debate. Copyright bodies, unions and cultural institutions are focusing on how value can be retained by creators when AI systems and global platforms sit between them and their audiences.
AI transparency is now a commercial and reputational issue, not only a compliance one. Platform-level disclosure and labelling rules are shaping how content is submitted, discovered and, in some cases, whether it is eligible for distribution at all.
Industrial Policy, Public Investment and Skills
Games, XR and immersive content are being treated as strategic growth industries. Governments are backing creative technology sectors with dedicated funding, start-up support and end-to-end industrial strategies on a scale previously reserved for film and television.
Skills policy is being written in parallel with industrial strategy. Markets that pair investment in studios and infrastructure with training systems, curriculum reform and partnerships with major technology companies are better positioned to capture long-term value from advanced media production.
The US is scaling integrated virtual production and AI infrastructure across new regional hubs. Investment is extending beyond Los Angeles and New York into Georgia, Illinois and Utah, with facilities increasingly built as production ecosystems combining virtual production, XR, consulting and workforce development.
Platforms, Streaming and Market Power
Content regulation is being used to secure domestic visibility and cultural sovereignty. Investment obligations, prominence rules and direct financial contributions are being applied to streaming platforms to redirect spending back into national screen industries.
Streaming services are redesigning user experience around AI discovery and short-form viewing. Conversational search, microcontent and mobile-native formats are shifting how audiences find and consume content, with direct implications for commissioning and intellectual property design.
Formats, Audience Engagement and New Content Models
Generative AI is moving from experimentation into deployable production workflows. Investor appetite remains strong and competitive advantage is starting to depend on how effectively AI tools are integrated into day-to-day production rather than whether they are used at all.
Immersive formats are embedded in mainstream cultural and entertainment strategies. Museums, record labels, live entertainment producers and XR companies are using immersive tools to extend existing intellectual property across physical and digital environments.
Microdrama is formalising as an industry, with dedicated training and infrastructure. Purpose-built campuses, university courses and training academies across the US, Nigeria and Dubai indicate that short-form vertical content is being treated as a lasting content category.
Advanced technology is being integrated into sports entertainment at scale. Long-term partnerships between major rights holders and technology companies are embedding AI, AR and XR into broadcast and live-event infrastructure to enhance both in-venue and viewer experience.
Inclusion, Sustainability and Sector Development
Talent development initiatives are broadening access to creative technology for underrepresented groups. Training, tool access, mentoring and scholarships are being delivered through universities, HBCUs and industry partnerships to widen the creative technology talent pool.
Environmental accountability in the screen sector is moving from commitments to measurable tools. Carbon calculators, standardised frameworks and mandatory corporate sustainability reporting are being introduced across Europe, Latin America and the animation sector to make environmental performance comparable and auditable.
Read previous editions of the Creative Technologies International Scan here.
Contact: SPI Research Analyst, Peter Cobb, peter@o-spi.com
The Creative Technologies International Scan was prepared by SPI for the CoSTAR Foresight Lab, of which SPI is a delivery partner. The Foresight Lab is researching the adoption, use and impact of new, emergent and convergent technologies in gaming, television, film, performance and digital entertainment.
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About CoSTAR
CoSTAR is a £75.6 million R&D network of laboratories that are developing new technology to maintain the UK’s world-leading position in the Creative Industries. Delivered by the UK Government’s UKRI Arts and Humanities Research Council, the programme is supporting new innovations and experiences that will enrich the UK’s creative industries, economy, and culture. The network comprises the National Lab, the Realtime Lab, the Live Lab, the Screen Lab and the Foresight Lab. CoSTAR is funded through UK Research and Innovation’s Infrastructure Fund, which supports the facilities, equipment and resources that are essential for researchers, businesses, and innovators to do groundbreaking work.