Yuri Smagarinsky, CEO of Yoola, on how AI is transforming the Creator Economy

Artificial intelligence is rapidly influencing how digital content is created, distributed, and monetized. For the creator economy, AI opens new opportunities for scale and efficiency, while also reshaping the overall ecosystem — from how content is produced to how audiences engage with it, introducing new challenges and uncertainties that creators and platforms need to navigate.

In this interview, Yury Smagarinsky, CEO of Yoola — a global media company, YouTube-certified MCN, and creator service platform — shares his perspective on how AI is transforming creators’ workflows and business models, and how companies like Yoola are adapting their infrastructure to support creators in this evolving landscape.

1. Could you tell us more about yourself and Yoola, and how AI intersects with your professional focus and the company’s work with creators?
   
   I’m Yury, CEO of Yoola. We build the infrastructure that helps digital creators grow sustainable businesses, from content distribution to commerce and community.
   
   My professional journey, prior to Yoola, was deeply rooted in telecommunications and major video streaming platforms. This experience gave me a front-row seat to the evolution of media consumption, the rise of on-demand content, and the technological shifts that disrupt entire industries. I see a direct parallel with the creator economy today—a sector that is not just booming but fundamentally reshaping the media landscape. Valued at over $250 billion and on a trajectory to exceed $480 billion, it’s a dynamic space where creators are rapidly evolving into sophisticated, tech-savvy entrepreneurs.
   
   This is where my background becomes crucial. It allows me to anticipate trends—like platform algorithm changes or new content formats—before they become mainstream in the creator space. Our mission at Yoola is to leverage our expertise to support creators, which means we must stay ahead of the curve and, as we say, “run twice as fast” to remain relevant and valuable to them.
   
   AI is the central engine of this acceleration for us. We approach it from two strategic angles:

1. Direct Empowerment: We are actively developing AI-powered supportive functions that integrate directly into creators’ workflows. This means tools that assist with ideation, editing, and optimization, making content creation both higher quality and more efficient.
2. Forward-Looking R&D: We invest significant resources into testing emerging technologies, most of which are AI-driven. This isn’t just about adopting tools; it’s about pioneering new methods for content production and audience analytics to understand what the next generation of creator tools will need to be.
   
   Furthermore, to bridge the ecosystem, we are heavily investing in data intelligence. For example, in Q1 2026, we plan to launch a dedicated platform that uses advanced analytics and AI to seamlessly connect creators with brands, identifying perfect alignments in their interests and audiences.
   
   So, in essence, AI intersects with everything we do: it’s the key to scaling our support, staying at the forefront of innovation, and ultimately fulfilling our promise of providing creators with the most advanced infrastructure for sustainable growth.

1. From your perspective, what major shifts is AI bringing to the creator economy as a whole, and how are these changes influencing the opportunities for creators today?
   
   From my perspective, AI is catalyzing three major shifts that are redefining the landscape for creators:
   
   The first one is the democratization of production. AI is dramatically lowering barriers. It accelerates content creation and slashes costs, turning weeks of work into days. At Yoola, we see this firsthand with tools from our partners like HeyGen for video translation or ElevenLabs for voice synthesis. A creator can now localize their content for a new regional audience almost instantly, unlocking global growth at an unprecedented pace.
   
   Second is the evolution from creator to CEO. By automating routine tasks—editing, formatting, basic asset generation—AI is freeing creators from being pure content executors. Their role is shifting towards high-level strategy and entrepreneurship. They can now focus on creative vision, community building, and business development while AI handles scalable production. This elevates their opportunity to build sustainable, multifaceted brands.
   
   Finally, there is a premium on authentic humanity. This is the most critical shift. As production becomes automated, the human element becomes the scarcest and most valuable resource. The creative spark, authentic storytelling, and genuine connection are what truly resonate with audiences. The key opportunity—and risk—lies in balancing AI efficiency with human authenticity. Success will belong to those who use AI as a co-pilot to enhance, not replace, their unique voice and emotional bond with their community.
   
   In essence, AI is removing technical and geographical friction, enabling creators to act like global media companies. But it simultaneously raises the stakes for strategic thinking and authentic creativity, making those the defining competitive advantages in the new creator economy

1. In your blog on Creator Economy AI Trends for 2025, Yoola highlighted specific developments like virtual influencers, AI avatars, enhanced personalization, auto dubbing, and lip‑syncing. Looking back on the past year, which of these trends have developed as expected, and what new AI developments do you expect to take center stage in 2026?
   
   Looking back at the past year, I’d say the trends Yoola highlighted largely materialized, but with some fascinating nuances. AI avatars and virtual influencers moved from niche to mainstream, driven by accessible platforms. Auto-dubbing and lip-syncing became indispensable utilities for global reach, just as predicted.
   
   However, the most significant development was in hyper-personalization. It evolved beyond algorithmic recommendations into AI dynamically altering video narratives and edits in real-time, which was even more impactful than we initially foresaw.
   
   For 2026, I believe the center of gravity will shift from creation tools to autonomous systems and immersive interaction. Five key developments will take the stage:

1. The rise of AI Agents as creative co-pilots. This is not just a prediction—it’s already happening. At Yoola, we have already developed and launched our own AI agent that assists creators with analytics and strategy. In 2026, this trend will mature, and such agents will evolve to manage end-to-end creative workflows, from ideation to execution and monetization.
2. Intelligent, contextual remixing. AI won’t just translate; it will culturally adapt and repackage a single piece of core content into dozens of platform-native formats automatically.
3. Live, interactive AI experiences. Think real-time AI streamers where the audience directly influences the story, powered by game engines and real-time voice models. This is the next evolution of virtual influencers.
4. Ethical AI and provenance as a brand imperative. As the space gets crowded, transparency about AI use and ethical sourcing will become a key differentiator for building audience trust.
5. Monetization via AI-generated assets. Creators will leverage tokenization to offer unique, AI-generated digital collectibles and experiences, creating new, deeper forms of community engagement and revenue.
   
   2025 was about empowering creators with powerful tools. 2026 will be about those tools evolving into proactive partners and enabling entirely new, interactive forms of content and community.

1. AI tools are increasingly used by creators to enhance their content, for example, those we discussed in the previous question. Which of these tools have proven most useful in practice, and how does Yoola help creators leverage them effectively?

Based on what we see across our network, the most impactful tools fall into two key categories: scale and efficiency.

For scale, nothing has been more transformative than AI-powered translation and dubbing services. They solve a massive pain point: breaking language barriers. A creator no longer needs a complex studio setup to reach a Spanish, Portuguese, or Hindi audience. They can localize a video in a couple of days, effectively multiplying the potential reach of their core content. It’s a game-changer for global growth.

For efficiency, tools that handle reformatting and repurposing are indispensable. This includes everything from generating multiple vertical clips from a single long-form video for Shorts and Reels to creating compelling thumbnails and previews. Tools in this category essentially act as a force multiplier for a creator’s most valuable asset—their existing content library.

At Yoola, we bridge the gap between these powerful tools and creators by operationalizing them. We focus on three key areas:

1. Strategic Curation: Cutting through the noise to identify production-ready tools that align with a creator’s brand.
2. Workflow Integration: Helping embed these solutions into existing pipelines, turning novel tech into a reliable workflow component.
3. Effective Adoption: Ensuring creators use tools not just widely, but wisely, by sharing best practices and pitfalls to preserve authenticity.

1. What challenges are emerging for creators as AI tools become more widely used — for example, in terms of content quality, diversity of creative formats, or audience engagement?
   
   The widespread adoption of AI introduces three core challenges for creators:
   
   One of the most immediate risks is declining audience engagement. When content is perceived as overly AI-generated, it risks losing the authentic human connection, leading to a drop in audience interest and loyalty. The key is to augment creativity, not replace it.
   
   Another emerging challenge is the homogenization of formats. The ease of using the same popular AI tools can lead to a uniformity in content style and format across the board, threatening creative diversity and making it harder for individual creators to stand out.
   
   A further shift lies in the skills creators are now required to develop. The essential skill is no longer just content creation, but becoming a strategic editor and curator of AI outputs. Success now depends on the ability to guide AI to produce work that aligns with a unique, authentic creative voice.
   
   Ultimately, the central challenge is balancing unprecedented scale and efficiency with the irreplaceable value of genuine human creativity and connection.

1. 1. With AI integrated into content creation, new roles are emerging — such as AI content curators, prompt specialists, and workflow designers. What does this shift reveal about how the creator economy is evolving and the ways creators and teams will collaborate in the future?
      
      I believe creators and their teams will collaborate seamlessly in these new roles, and Yoola is already fulfilling the AI-related functions needed to support this integration.

• Looking ahead, what do you see as the defining characteristics of the creator economy in the next few years, and how should creators position themselves to succeed?
  
  The defining characteristic will be the Great Human Refocus. As AI automates creation, the true value—the creator’s unique personality, vision, and authentic connection—will become the ultimate currency.
  
  To succeed, creators must position themselves as enduring leaders, not just content producers. First, they need to prioritize the inner game, investing in emotional resilience and personal development to stay grounded and adaptable amidst rapid change. Next, building authentic intellectual property is essential, doubling down on a distinctive worldview and community trust that AI cannot replicate.  Finally, creators must become strategic conductors, mastering AI as a toolset while remaining the creative and emotional core.
  
  The winners will build human-centric brands that leverage technology, not the other way around. Their most important asset will remain their authentic self.