The Creativity Debate: Humans, Machines, and Who Gets to Be the Creator

Is AI creative? Few scientific questions have such a long history, and new evidence often seems to sharpen the contradictions rather than resolve them. Prof. David Cropley has spent years challenging claims that large language models outperform humans in creativity. Other research points the opposite way: generative AI already matches human-level performance on standard creativity measures, at least for everyday creativity. Jessica Carson adds a third perspective, perhaps the most consequential one: what does working with AI do to the psychology of the people who create with it?

This half-day workshop puts these disagreements at its center. Short inputs from each speaker are followed by a moderated exchange, and then participants join in to work through the open questions together.

Speakers

David Cropley (Professor of Engineering Innovation, Adelaide University): "You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet: Why human creativity remains essential in the Age of AI"

David Cropley's research spans creativity in education, organisational innovation, the dark side of creativity, and the role of AI in creativity. He is the author or co-author of ten books. Since the launch of ChatGPT in 2022, he has been debunking claims that large language models are more creative than humans.

Jessica Carson (creativity researcher, PhD candidate, author of Wired This Way): "Made in the Image of the Creator? Exploring AI Use in Creative Work & Psychological Outcomes for Creators"

Jessica Carson works at the intersection of psychology, creativity, and technology, with a focus on the psychological implications of AI for creators and the creative process. She began her career as a Neuroscience & Psychology Research Fellow at the National Institutes of Health, later worked in the startup and venture capital ecosystem, and spent five years as Head of Innovation at the American Psychological Association. She has been an Expert in Residence at Georgetown University and has spoken at TED, the World Economic Forum, and many universities.

Jennifer Haase (Weizenbaum Institute / Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin): "'It's Not a Human Move' — It's a Co-Creative One: Levels of Human-AI Collaboration"

Jennifer Haase studies human-AI co-creativity, focusing on how generative AI shapes creative processes, outcomes, and collaboration. Her work includes research on the creative capabilities of large language models, AI-supported creativity assessment, and the conditions under which humans and AI can productively complement one another.

Preliminary schedule

09:00 Arrival & coffee
09:15 Welcome & framing
09:30 David Cropley: talk and Q&A
10:15 Jessica Carson: talk and Q&A
11:00 Jennifer Haase: talk and discussion
12:00 Optional lunch at Hardenberg-Café

Lunch

Tables are reserved at Hardenberg-Café for those who would like to continue the conversation over lunch (at their own expense).

Registration

Please RSVP by 11 November and let us know whether you would like to join for lunch. We need this for the lunch reservation and to register you for building access at the Weizenbaum Institute. Colleagues are welcome; please ask them to respond by the same deadline.