Anil Doshi, co-author of a study published in Science Advances, aimed to explore the extent and effectiveness of AI tools in enhancing creativity. The research involved around 300 volunteers who were assessed for their inherent creative ability using a standard psychology test. The participants were then divided into three groups to write an eight-sentence story about one of three topics: an adventure on the open seas, an adventure in the jungle, or an adventure on another planet.

The authors found that AI significantly improved the quality of an individual writer’s creativity by up to 10% and the story’s enjoyability by 22%, particularly with elements like structure and plot twists. This leveling effect was most significant for writers who were judged during the initial task to be the least creative. However, on the collective level, AI-assisted stories appeared more similar to each other than those produced without any AI help, as writers “anchored” themselves too heavily to the suggested ideas.

Doshi also highlighted the danger of relying too much on AI tools before developing underlying skills in writing, music, or more. He suggested that people should consider where they can insert AI tools to get the most benefit while still incorporating their own voice into the project or outcome. The study highlights the need for careful consideration of how AI tools can be used in various fields, such as writing and music.