By: Rohit Nagar
Researchers found that AI could enhance the creativity of individual writers, but it often led to more similar stories.
Nearly 300 non-professional writers were asked to write short stories, with some receiving AI-generated ideas to kickstart their writing.
Stories written with AI assistance were judged to be more novel and useful, particularly for writers who had access to multiple AI-generated ideas.
The least inherently creative writers experienced the most significant improvement in their creativity with AI help.
While AI increased individual creativity, it decreased overall creativity diversity within the group that used AI.
This phenomenon is described as a "classic social dilemma," where individual benefits come at the cost of group diversity.
Some, like science fiction author Annalee Newitz, question the quantification of creativity and note the real-world impact, such as sci-fi magazines being flooded with AI-generated submissions.
Despite AI's assistance, some argue that the essence of creative writing lies in human communication, and AI-generated content misses this fundamental purpose.