The Role of Generative AI in Creative Problem Solving

Generative AI can significantly enhance creative problem solving by collaborating with humans to generate innovative solutions. Research indicates that while AI can produce responses with high value, it struggles to generate extremely novel ideas compared to human input. This study utilized a crowdsourcing challenge focused on the circular economy, where human solvers were compared to AI-generated solutions. The results showed that although human AI collaborations can yield equivalent creative performance, humans tend to formulate more unique ideas, pointing to the necessity of combining human and AI strengths for optimal outcomes.