The White House invited 100 digital content producers and industry professionals to meet with officials to discuss the “creator’s economy,” an area that has grown as social media platforms have made it easier for users of their content to monetize.

The first ever event hosted by the White House Office of Digital Strategy, President Joe Biden attended the Creator Economy conference.

Biden, without using a teleprompter, told the influential people in the White House Indian Treaty Room that “you are the future.” “You represent the future. “You are the new possibilities in communication.”

He joked, “I’m searching for a new job. That’s why I invited you to the White House.”

The conference is also attended by other top officials including Wally Adeyemo, deputy Treasury Secretary, and Neera Tanden White House Domestic Policy Advisor.

Influencers are voicing their concerns on the most pressing issues in their industries, such as artificial intelligence, fair pay and data privacy, or even the impact social media has on mental health.

Franklin Graves a tech policy attorney attending the conference told CNBC that “these events ensure creators have a voice in D.C., which more traditional entertainment groups and media groups had for decades.”

Graves stated that “the law and policy challenges facing creators, platforms, and brands in the creator-economy are more nuanced, and often not addressed by existing regulations, or agency actions.”

Content creation has boomed in the last few years with the growth of social media, ecommerce, and influencer marketing. These sites allow creators to monetize work on digital platforms.

Goldman Sachs estimated in 2023 that the creator’s economy would generate approximately $250 billion dollars of revenue, and it was expected to reach $480 billion by 2027.

Goldman estimates that 50 million people worldwide are content creators. Census Bureau in the United States does not consider social media a separate sector.

The content-creation industry is growing, and this has created challenges for legislators and White House officials in regards to Big Tech, AI, and social media.

TikTok is the Chinese video-sharing platform and fastest-growing social network. It has been the focus of much of this controversy.

U.S. officials are concerned about the Chinese government’s practices that allow them to collect data from TikTok. This poses a threat to American users.

The president signed a law in April that requires the Chinese parent company of TikTok, ByteDance to sell the platform by the end of the year or face a ban on the entire U.S.

Biden was almost immediately criticized by TikTok, and its creators, who depend on the platform for income.

In May, TikTok creators filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Government to contest this potential ban.