“The greatest worry in these times of generative AI is not that it may compromise human creativity or intelligence, but that it already has.”

– Robert J Sternberg, Professor of Psychology, Cornell Human Ecology college

 

How AI tools and digital saturation are reshaping creative thinking

Artificial intelligence has become part of our daily lives. Over 77% of us are using an AI-powered service or device every day.^[1] From booking holidays to restocking groceries and even answering the door, AI has taken many everyday tasks off our hands.

But it doesn’t end there. AI is also being used to produce what was once exclusively human: music, drawings, storytelling, photography, and many other forms of creative expression. Today, all of these can be generated digitally – and often are.

 

There are also fears that as humans rely more on AI and less on our own creative cognition, we will lose our unique ability to think creatively – and freely.^[2]

 

Is technology dulling our creative minds?

Just a generation ago, most creative expression was almost exclusively offline. Drawing, writing, reading, music, and other arts and crafts were produced with our hands and minds.

Today, AI can write novels, compose music in the style of Bach, and generate lifelike images from simple prompts.

And, as consumers, we are embracing this era. We now consume short-form videos, posts, and headlines rather than newspapers or books.  Instead of drafting and editing posts and emails, we use AI to provide suggestions or even write the entire text for us. We rely less on recall and more on search engines and tools. The algorithm continues to draw us in by providing endless curated content.

This passive consumption feeds the content machine – while potentially neglecting the free, original thought that fuels creativity.

 

As generative AI takes over more of the creative process, some researchers fear the “use it or lose it” principle will result in the weakening or loss of our own creative abilities.^[3]

 

The paradox of AI tools: creative shortcut or creative crutch?

Experts fear that our increasingly passive reliance on AI may lead us to accept mediocre output as ‘good enough’ – simply because we’ve lost the drive or skill to do better ourselves.^[4]

Worse still, there is the potential for almost anyone to claim AI-generated work as their own, blurring the line between integrity, effort, and what it means to truly create.

 

A 2024 study found that when writers used generative AI to produce story ideas, their stories were rated as more creative, better written, and more enjoyable to read – especially among ‘less creative’ writers.^[5] However, the study also found that AI-generated stories were more similar to one another, suggesting that while AI can improve individual output, this may be at the cost of originality and diversity across the creative landscape.

 

As creative tools become more widely available, the distinction between creating and generating may begin to blur, raising new questions about the future of creativity itself.

 

The neuroscience of creativity

Creativity is commonly defined as the ability to produce work that is novel, original, and useful.^[6]

Research suggests that creative thought is not from a single brain region but from complex interaction between networks involved in memory, attention, and idea generation.^[7]

The prefrontal cortex plays a key role in generating new ideas, while creativity across domains such as music, writing, and visual arts activates different, overlapping brain regions.^[8]

Studies also show that people with higher levels of creativity tend to have stronger connections between areas linked to memory, imagination, and attention control – connections that can be strengthened through regular use, or weakened when neglected.^[9]

Like any skill, creative thinking follows the principle of “use it or lose it”. Just as weight training can build a muscle, creativity can be built through targeted mental effort, curiosity, and consistent cognitive stimulation.

Playing games, meeting new people, or going to a film can challenge working memory, encourage flexible thinking, or spark emotional engagement.

And just as we lose fitness by not exercising, we can also lose our ability to compute, handwrite, spell, or write text if we let computers do it for us.^[10]

 

How to support – and simulate – your creative mind

 

Use AI as a tool, not a crutch

When used with intention, AI can enhance – rather than replace – human creativity. It may even help spark ideas, filter distractions, and support execution.

A 2024 study found that music practitioners using AI tools reported higher levels of creative exploration and output.^[11] A similar study found that generative AI significantly boosted artists’ productivity and led to more favourable evaluations from their peers. Artists who benefited the most from AI tools were those who used it to explore novel ideas and filter its outputs.^[12]

 

Exercise

Physical activity can improve connectivity between brain regions, blood flow in the brain, and increase levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, a protein that supports the survival, growth, and maintenance of neurons. Even short periods of physical activity such as running or walking may boost creative potential, while regular physical activity has been shown to strengthen creative and mental performance over time.^[13]

 

Nutrition

Omega-3s support brain plasticity – the ability to form and strengthen connections – and can help promote the growth of new neurons in the hippocampus, a region important for memory and flexible thinking. These functions are key to learning and creative thought, and the prevention of neurocognitive decline.^[14]
Probiotics support the creative brain by promoting bacteria that produce BDNF.^[15] Probiotics also help to reduce inflammation and contribute to healthy communication between the gut and brain.^[16]

 

Environment

Surroundings matter. Incorporating creative elements into a physical space (such as the home, office, or bedroom) has been suggested to help promote focus and generate new ideas.^[17] A home filled with books, art, greenery, or music can spark inspiration and help ideas flow more freely.

 

Creativity is uniquely human, and its potential is limitless. As generative AI evolves, it’s up to us to keep using – and nurturing – our own creative minds before the machines.

 

References

^[1] Abramovich, G. (n.d.). 15 stats about artificial intelligence (AI). https://business.adobe.com/uk/blog/perspectives/15-stats-about-artificial-intelligence

^[2] Sternberg RJ. Do Not Worry That Generative AI May Compromise Human Creativity or Intelligence in the Future: It Already Has. J Intell. 2024 Jul 19;12(7):69. doi: 10.3390/jintelligence12070069. PMID: 39057189; PMCID: PMC11278271.

^[3] Sternberg R. J. (2024). Do Not Worry That Generative AI May Compromise Human Creativity or Intelligence in the Future: It Already Has. Journal of Intelligence, 12(7), 69. https://doi.org/10.3390/jintelligence12070069

^[4] Sternberg R. J. (2024). Do Not Worry That Generative AI May Compromise Human Creativity or Intelligence in the Future: It Already Has. Journal of Intelligence, 12(7), 69. https://doi.org/10.3390/jintelligence12070069

^[5] Doshi, A. R., & Hauser, O. P. (2024). Generative AI enhances individual creativity but reduces the collective diversity of novel content. Science advances, 10(28), eadn5290. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adn5290

^[6] Fink, A., & Benedek, M. (2019). The neuroscience of creativity. Neuroforum, 25(4), 231–240. https://doi.org/10.1515/nf-2019-0006

^[7] Khalil, R., Godde, B., & Karim, A. A. (2019). The Link Between Creativity, Cognition, and Creative Drives and Underlying Neural Mechanisms. Frontiers in neural circuits, 13, 18. https://doi.org/10.3389/fncir.2019.00018

^[8] Chen, Q., Beaty, R. E., & Qiu, J. (2020). Mapping the artistic brain: Common and distinct neural activations associated with musical, drawing, and literary creativity. Human brain mapping, 41(12), 3403–3419. https://doi.org/10.1002/hbm.25025

^[9] Beaty R. E. (2020). The Creative Brain. Cerebrum : the Dana forum on brain science, 2020, cer-02-20.

^[10] Sternberg R. J. (2024). Do Not Worry That Generative AI May Compromise Human Creativity or Intelligence in the Future: It Already Has. Journal of Intelligence, 12(7), 69. https://doi.org/10.3390/jintelligence12070069

^[11] Ma, H., Zhang, Y., Shan, X., & Hu, X. (2025). Exploring the Impact of Artificial Intelligence on the Creativity Perception of Music Practitioners. Journal of Intelligence, 13(4), 47. https://doi.org/10.3390/jintelligence13040047

^[12] Zhou, E., & Lee, D. (2024). Generative artificial intelligence, human creativity, and art. PNAS nexus, 3(3), pgae052. https://doi.org/10.1093/pnasnexus/pgae052

^[13] Rominger, C., Schneider, M., Fink, A., Tran, U. S., Perchtold-Stefan, C. M., & Schwerdtfeger, A. R. (2022). Acute and Chronic Physical Activity Increases Creative Ideation Performance: A Systematic Review and Multilevel Meta-analysis. Sports medicine – open, 8(1), 62. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40798-022-00444-9

^[14] Cutuli D. (2017). Functional and Structural Benefits Induced by Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids During Aging. Current neuropharmacology, 15(4), 534–542. https://doi.org/10.2174/1570159X14666160614091311

^[15] Kumar, A., Sivamaruthi, B. S., Dey, S., Kumar, Y., Malviya, R., Prajapati, B. G., & Chaiyasut, C. (2024). Probiotics as modulators of gut-brain axis for cognitive development. Frontiers in pharmacology, 15, 1348297. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2024.1348297

^[16] Kumar, A., Sivamaruthi, B. S., Dey, S., Kumar, Y., Malviya, R., Prajapati, B. G., & Chaiyasut, C. (2024). Probiotics as modulators of gut-brain axis for cognitive development. Frontiers in pharmacology, 15, 1348297. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2024.1348297

^[17] Vuichard, A., Botella, M., & Capron Puozzo, I. (2023). Creative Process and Multivariate Factors through a Creative Course “Keep Calm and Be Creative”. Journal of Intelligence, 11(5), 83. https://doi.org/10.3390/jintelligence11050083