Journal of Academic Research for Humanities (JARH) is a double-blind, peer-reviewed, Open Free Access, online Multidisciplinary Research Journal
Skip to main navigation menu Skip to main content Skip to site footer

AI Matters: Debunking the Myth that AI Hinders the Creative Process

Abstract

The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in higher education creative writing courses affects learners’ imagination and critical thinking skills. A prevalent view regarding the use of AI is that it diminishes creativity and struggles to capture diversity accurately. This study aims to challenge that view. It considers AI as a collaborator that improves interaction with multicultural stories, such as the “AI Enchantment” course component, where students employed AI to retell traditional fairy tales while addressing more complex socio-political issues related to gender, power, and culture. The design used was qualitative, where a sample of 30 undergraduate students from different faculties had enrolled. Methods of data collection involved students’ reflections, questionnaires, focus group discussions, and the comparison of texts written by AI and students. Thematic analysis was performed to explore students' preferences between their original stories and the AI-generated versions. Students first submitted their original stories, after which AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini were used to rewrite and improve the original versions. Some students embraced the use of AI, arguing that it enhances creativity, while others felt it restricts creative expression. The research concludes that a blended approach to instruction is necessary, integrating AI with human creativity. It also provides guidance for educators, researchers, and policymakers on how to harness AI effectively while preserving student autonomy and encouraging critical engagement in creative writing.

Keywords

Teaching practices, , AI in creative writing, , traditional notions on AI, , artificial intelligence, , creativity, , Education.

PDF

References

  1. Asudani, D. S., Nagwani, N. K., & Singh, P. (2023). Impact of word embedding models on text analytics in deep learning environment: A review. Artificial Intelligence Review, 56, 10345-10425. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10462-023-10419-1
  2. Baidoo-Anu, D., & Ansah, L. O. (2023). Education in the era of generative artificial intelligence (AI): Understanding the potential benefits of ChatGPT in promoting teaching and learning. Journal of AI, 7(1), 52-62. 10.61969/jai.1337500
  3. Baldassarre, M. T., Caivano, D., Nieto, B. F., Gigante, D., & Ragone, A. (2024). The social impact of generative AI: An analysis of ChatGPT. Paper presented at the Conference on Information Technology for Social Good. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2403.04667
  4. Boden, M. A. (2016). AI: Its nature and future. Oxford University Press.
  5. Boden, M. (2007). How Creativity Works, published by Creativity East Midlands for the Creativity: Innovation and Industry conference. https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/document?repid=rep1&type=pdf&doi=120eb04b9b69b5f892904a2f6870b8c04cb33f82
  6. Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2014). The systems model of creativity. Greenwood Publishing Group.
  7. Coeckelbergh, M. (2020). AI ethics. The MIT Press.
  8. Darder, A. (2017). Reinventing Paulo Freire: A Pedagogy of Love. Routledge.
  9. Denny, P., Gulwani, S., Heffernan, N. T., Käser, T., Moore, S., Rafferty, A. N., & Singla, A. (2023). Generative AI for education (GAIED): Advances, opportunities, challenges. Paper presented at the NeurIPS 2023 conference. https://doi.org/10.48550/arViv.2402.01580
  10. Downes, S. (2022). Connectivism. Asian Journal of Distance Education, 17(1), 58-87. https://asianjde.com/ojs/index.php/AsianJDE/article/view/623
  11. Elfar, M. A. A., & Dawood, M. E. T. (2023). Using artificial intelligence to enhance human creativity. Journal of Art, Design, and Music, 2(2). https://doi.org/10.55554/2785-9649.1017
  12. Elsayed, S. (2023). Towards mitigating ChatGPT’s negative impact on education: Optimizing question design through Bloom’s taxonomy. 10.48550/arXiv.2304.08176
  13. Giannakos, M., Azevedo, R., Brusilovsky, P., Cukurova, M., Dimitriadis, Y., Hernandez-Leo, D., Järvelä, S., Mavrikis, M., & Rienties, B. (2024). The promise and challenges of generative AI in education. Behaviour and Information Technology, 10.1080/0144929X.2024.2394886
  14. Glăveanu, V. P. (2020). A sociocultural theory of creativity: bridging the social, the material, and the psychological. Review of General Psychology, 24(4), 335–354. https://doi.org/10.1177/1089268020961763
  15. Grace, & Sahu, G. R. (2024). Navigating narrative frontiers: Influence of generative AI on creative literature. International Research Journal on Advanced Engineering and Management, 2(5), https://doi.org/10.47392/IRJAEM.2024.0179
  16. Haikal, T., & Lightfoot, R. H. (2024). Enhancing education through the thoughtful integration of large language models in assigned work. American Society for Engineering Education. https://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/203219
  17. Hamroyev, A., Kalandarova, S., & Abdullayev, U. (2024). How AI tools can be a threat to human creativity. Academic Research in Modern Science, 3(26), 5–10. https://inlibrary.uz/index.php/arims/article/view/50392
  18. Ipek, Z. H., Gözüm, A. I. C., Papadakis, S., & Kalogiannakis, M. (2023). Educational applications of the ChatGPT AI system: A systematic review. Educational Process International Journal, 12(3), 26-55. https://dx.doi.org/10.22521/edupij.2023.123.2
  19. Ippolito, D., Yuan, A., Coenen, A., & Burnam, S. (2022). Creative writing with an AI-powered writing assistant: Perspectives from professional writers.
  20. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2211.05030
  21. Özer, M. (2024). Potential benefits and risks of artificial intelligence in education. Bartin University Journal of Faculty of Education, 13(2), 232-244. DOI: 10.14686/1416087
  22. Roberts, A. M., Sternberg, R. J., Runco, M. A., Acar, S., Ward, T. B., Kolomyts, Y., & Kaufman, J. C. (2021). Creativity and cognition, divergent thinking and intelligence. In J. C. Kaufman & R. J. Sternberg (Eds.), Creativity: An introduction (pp. 102-120). Cambridge University Press.
  23. Su, J., & Yang, W. (2023). Unlocking the power of ChatGPT: A framework for applying generative AI in education. ECNU Review of Education, 6(3), 355-366, DOI: 10.1177/20965311231168423
  24. Suharyat, Y., & Lusiana. (2023). Artificial intelligence: Positive and negative role in education management. Paper presented at The Annual International Conference on Education, 1, 349-357. https://jurnalfaktarbiyah.iainkediri.ac.id/index.php/proceedings/article/view/1651
  25. Urban, M., Děchtěrenko, F., Lukavský, J., Hrabalová, V., Svacha, F., Brom, C., & Urban, K. (2023). ChatGPT Improves Creative Problem-Solving Performance in University Students: An Experimental Study. 1–36. 10.31234/osf.io/9z2tc
  26. Weiland, B., de Wit, J., & de Rooij, A. (2022). Electronic brainstorming with a chatbot partner: A good idea due to increased productivity and idea diversity. Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence, 5, https://doi.org/10.3389/frai.2022.880673
  27. Wu, Y. (2023). Integrating generative AI in education: How ChatGPT brings challenges for future learning and teaching. Journal of Advanced Research in Education, 2(4), 6-10. doi:10.56397/JARE.2023.07.02