Cyber-Creativity: Challenges and Frictions in Human-AI Collaboration

This article addresses the challenges associated with the introduction of generative artificial intelligence (Gen-AI) in the creative process. Gen-AI yields both opportunities and diminishments to the human side of this cyber-creative collaboration. A decalogue of research challenges in cybercreativity is recollected, followed by the description of an experimental procedure in which a form of friction is introduced in the DA VINCI model for the creative process, applied to a shortstory creative writing task. The study tested the hypothesis that introducing friction in the attentional focus of the cyber-creative process would enhance self-perceived originality. Using a withinsubjects design, in the control condition participants did not modify the inputs received by Gen-AI, whereas in the friction condition they were forced to intervene on the Gen-AI input, to stimulate reflection and critical thinking. Preliminary results are presented, showing that the friction condition led to higher levels of originality with respect to the control condition, along with higher levels of perceived difficulty.