Creative Industries Weekly AI News
February 16 - February 24, 2026This week brought big changes to the world of creative tools and AI helpers. Companies are building new intelligent assistants that can work with creators and businesses to make things faster and easier. Leonardo.AI, which is owned by Canva, launched a powerful new tool called the Creative Engine API. This tool lets programmers and companies use Leonardo's smart design helpers in their own products. Meanwhile, other companies like xAI are making smarter AI assistants that can think through problems better than before. Grok 4.2, made by xAI, uses four different AI helpers working together, which cuts down on mistakes by 65%. OpenAI also hired a new leader to build personal AI agents that can do tasks for people all by themselves. Google and a big Southeast Asian company called Sea are teaming up to make shopping AI helpers that can assist customers while they shop. But there is some bad news too. A report from UNESCO says that creators might lose money because of AI. Musicians could lose 24% of their earnings, and people who make videos could lose 21% of their income by 2028. Even with these worries, companies like CreationDose are trying to find a balance between AI power and human creativity, helping influencers and brands work together in smart ways.