for sure, but if the playing field is tilted too far against the plebs (or if there are too many of them) it usually ends up with some sort of revolution

Yes and there's precedent for minorities being upset yet ignored all the same.

k00b

wouldn’t this open a whole new conflict with small creators being paid nothing while large creators earn money?

tech

Will AI Platforms Pay Creators?

I think it will pay outlets and platforms that are large enough to insist they pay then be uncompetitive with platforms that don't pay (assuming they don't establish a regulatory moat that prevents competition).