Generative AI can enhance creativity in the workplace, but its benefits are not distributed equally. According to a new study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology and highlighted by Fast Company, employees who already possess strong domain knowledge and expertise are far more likely to use AI as a creative partner. These workers leverage AI to explore ideas, overcome creative blocks, and refine concepts, resulting in more innovative outcomes. In contrast, employees with less experience often rely on AI for direct answers, which can limit original thinking rather than expand it.
The researchers found that the way people interact with AI plays a crucial role in determining its creative value. Experienced workers tend to challenge AI-generated suggestions, combine them with their own knowledge, and iterate on ideas instead of accepting the first response. This collaborative approach allows AI to serve as a brainstorming partner rather than a replacement for human creativity. Less experienced users, however, are more likely to depend heavily on AI outputs, producing work that is accurate but less distinctive or innovative.
The study suggests that organizations should rethink how they introduce AI into creative work. Simply giving employees access to generative AI tools is unlikely to maximize innovation. Instead, companies should invest in training that helps workers develop critical thinking, domain expertise, and effective prompting techniques. AI delivers the greatest value when it complements human judgment and experience rather than replacing them, allowing employees to generate, evaluate, and improve ideas more effectively.
The article concludes that AI is best viewed as a creativity amplifier, not a creativity substitute. Workers who combine deep expertise with thoughtful AI collaboration are more likely to produce novel, high-quality ideas, while overreliance on AI can lead to generic or repetitive results. As generative AI becomes a standard workplace tool, competitive advantage will increasingly depend on employees' ability to pair human insight, curiosity, and expertise with AI's speed and analytical capabilities.
