July 2026
Intermediate
9 pages
23m
English
article
The Hidden Cost of AI-Assisted Creativity
by Léonard Boussioux, Anil Doshi, Oliver Hauser, Kartik Hosanagar
Overview
AI can make individual creators more productive and inventive — but at a collective cost. Across four studies spanning short-story writing, circular-economy solutions, humor, and collaborative storytelling, the authors found that AI consistently limited the diversity of ideas across groups. The result: higher average quality, but fewer breakthrough outliers. Managers who understand this paradox can design workflows that harness AI while preserving the originality that fuels long-term innovation.
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