CREATIVITY IN THE AGE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

<doi>10.24250/jpe/SI/2026/ASB/</doi>

Abstract

The rapid evolution of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI)
has challenged human creativity, shifting the discourse
surrounding AI from technical feasibility toward the
redefinition of conceptual frameworks. This study
investigates the attitudes of full-time university students
toward AI creativity through the theoretical lens of
Margaret Boden’s computational creativity framework,
which distinguishes between combinatorial, exploratory,
and transformational creativity. Utilizing a quantitative
approach, survey data from 129 respondents were analyzed
to explore how individuals perceive the "novelty"
generated by artificial intelligence. The sample
demonstrated a clear divide, with 70.5% considering AI to
be creative, while 29.5% remained skeptical. To examine
the differences in opinion between the two groups, a non
parametric Mann-Whitney U-test was conducted. The
results revealed highly significant differences (p < 0.001)
regarding AI's capacity to generate entirely new ideas and
its similarity to human creativity, aligning skeptics with the
rejection of Boden’s transformational tier of creativity.
Concurrently, no significant differences were found
regarding the perception of AI’s technical limitations (p =
0.124) and its reliance on trained data (p = 0.069),
indicating a universal consensus on the data-driven nature
of machine processes. These findings suggest that the
polarization among students stems from differing
expectations
of
creative
tiers
rather
than
a
misunderstanding of technology, highlighting the
emergence of a hybrid, co-creative paradigm.