QUANTIFYING THE CREATIVE CLASS–SUSTAINABILITY LINK: A COMPARATIVE EU ANALYSIS WITH AI INSIGHTS

Purpose: This study aims to indicate that contemporary development depends on the proper generation of the creative class (CCUE) and the environment supporting its absorption in the perspective of sustainable development (SDUE). It also highlights the significant potential of artificial intelligence for a positive impact. Need for the study: Although theories and considerations about the creative class vary, emphasizing different research contexts, recognizing creativity as a determinant of innovation in many territorial areas seems unquestionable. Artificial intelligence has and will significantly impact these development processes in the near future, providing the creative class with new tools previously unused. Methodology: Therefore, to determine the areas of these dependencies, several stages of analysis were carried out in the study part of the work, i.e.: standardization of variables describing selected research areas for EU countries; determination of weights for individual diagnostic variables (wj) CRITIC method; determination of an aggregate measure for sustainable development or creative class using the TOPSIS method, and the assessment of the degree of compliance of the obtained rankings were made using the Kendall’s Tau coefficient (τ ). Findings: The results have shown a relationship between the development of the creative class and sustainable development in general, but also in selected areas of the so-called environmental and economic dimensions. Practical Implications: The research results are particularly important for innovation, as they support the creative class, the sustainable development of countries, and the creation of suitable conditions that enhance their competitiveness.