Stories crafted with the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tend to be more innovative, well-structured, and entertaining according to a new study conducted by the University of Exeter.
This study, published in the reputable journal, Science Advances, discovered that AI can enhance the originality and 'usefulness' of stories. It suggests that AI can 'professionalize' stories, making them more engaging and less monotonous, and increasing their potential for publication.
Playing a significant role in idea generation, AI was found to amplify the creativity of writers traditionally considered less creative, making their output up to 26.6% better and 15.2% less drab. This, however, did not seem to boost the work of those deemed as naturally creative.
While it can elevate individual creativity, the study issues a warning about AI's effect on collective novelty. This implies that, although stories assisted by AI may be enjoyable and creative, they look more alike and lack diversity.
The research team comprised of experts from the University of Exeter Business School and Institute for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence. They organized a creative task for 300 participants, asking them to write an eight-sentence 'micro story' targeting young adults, with AI providing suggestions.
Another 600 individuals were then recruited to judge the stories based on novelty and relevance to the target audience. The stories received higher scores if they bore elements of surprise or demonstrated potential for further development and publication.
The results? Writers with the most access to AI garnered the most significant creativity gains. Their stories scored 8.1% higher for novelty and 9% more for usefulness compared to narratives produced without AI assistance.
Even stories inspired by up to five AI-generated ideas received higher ratings for emotional characteristics. They were deemed better written, more engaging, and less tedious, and even humor appeared to have been improved.
There was, however, a stark downside. A 10.7% increase in resemblance was observed between stories created with the help of AI. This indicates that despite improved creativity, there is an evident decline in the diversity and uniqueness of the overall content.
Professor Oliver Hauser, Deputy Director of the Institute for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, highlighted the significance of this research as the first step in understanding how generative AI influences human creativity.
Furthermore, Assistant Professor Anil Doshi from the UCL School of Management expressed his concerns, stating that the publishing industry may be at risk of losing collective novelty if it chose to adopt more AI-led stories.
The results of the study usher in a note of caution for the broader adoption of generative AI in creative tasks, as the loss of collective novelty might override the evident enhancement in individual creativity.
Disclaimer: The above article was written with the assistance of AI. The original sources can be found on ScienceDaily.
