AI has been making great strides in recent years, and a new study from the University of Montana has shown that AI can outperform humans in creativity tests. Specifically, the study found that ChatGPT, an AI model, was able to match the top 1% of human thinkers on a standard creativity test.
How the study was done
The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Montana, used the Torrance Test of Creativity (TTCT), a commonly used test of creativity, to assess ChatGPT performance. They posed eight questions to ChatGPT and recorded its responses. They also collected responses from 24 U of Montana students and compared them to responses from 2,700 students across the country who took TTCT. All responses were graded by Academic Testing Services, which was unaware of the AI responses being graded.
The TTCT consists of two different assessments: a verbal assessment and a graphic assessment. Both measure divergent thinking, the thought process used to generate ideas. In the language assessment, the test taker provides pictures and/or verbal prompts and asks for written responses. For example, they might be shown a picture of an event and asked to speculate on the outcome. Or they might demonstrate a product and ask for ways to improve it. Their answers were used to assess three psychological traits:
- Fluency: the number of related ideas
- Originality: how unusual the idea is
- Flexibility: A variety of different types of ideas
The graphic assessment requires the test taker to answer questions by drawing pictures. For example, they might be asked to complete a drawing.
Study Result
The results of the study show that the creativity of the AI’s answers was comparable to that of the most creative human beings who took the test. In fact, the research team reports that ChatGPT outperformed most students across the country. The result of the study impressed several experts including Eric Guzik, an assistant prof. at the Univ. of Montana
Eric Guzik said: “For me, creativity is about doing things differently. …One of the definitions of entrepreneurship that I like is that being an entrepreneur is about thinking differently. So, it’s very interesting to me that AI might help us apply creative thinking to the business and innovation process.”
In this study, ChatGPT hit the top percentile for both fluency and originality. For flexibility, its score dropped to the 97th percentile. According to Guzik, ChatGPT will likely be a driver of innovation in the near future.
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Implications of this study for AI
The study’s findings have huge implications for the future of AI and its role in creative trends. While AI has been used for tasks such as creating music and art, the Univ. of Montana study suggests that AI could also be used to create new and innovative ideas. This could have uses in fields such as marketing, ads, and product development. In fact, it could mean a lot for any area where there is a need for creative minds.
However, the study also raises questions about the role of humans in creative trends. As AI becomes more advanced, will there still be a need for human creativity? According to Neuro Science News, experts argue that AI will always need a touch of humans. They claim that AI lacks the ability to learn human emotions as well as what humans feel. However, there are other experts that say that AI and humans will work in the same realm. While AI will create the idea, humans will refine and use them.
Can AI really beat humans?
While the new study above claims that ChatGPT is more creative than 99% of humans, there are reports that have a different idea. A report on Better Marketing claims that AI cannot beat its human rivals. It claims that while AI content can be good, it still lacks the creativity, nuance, and emotional intelligence that humans possess. The report says that AI writing tools can produce content quickly and accurately. However, they cannot match the depth and complex ways that humans can write.
Three experts from the Univ. of Michigan – Dearborn say that AI may be good but it will not replace humans. Prof. Hafiz Malik, Assoc. Prof. Samir Rawashdeh and Ast. Prof. Birhanu Eshete said that AI can do great things. However, it does not have the ability to beat humans or even replace humans.
Similarly, Paul Formosa, an expert in AI and the Philosophy of Tech claims that AI is already above the level of humans. However, humans remain relevant because they have to control AI.
Also, Stuart Russell, a leading AI researcher at UC Berkeley’s Center for Human-Compatible AI, writes that the primary concern with highly advanced AI is not spooky emergent consciousness but simply the ability to make high-quality decisions.
So, there have been different expert opinions about whether or not AI can beat humans. However, the experts all agree on one thing, AI needs human direction to work properly.
Conclusion
The University of Montana study has shown that AI can outperform humans in creativity tests, raising questions about the role of humans in creative trends. As AI continues to advance, it will be important to consider the implications for human creativity and the ways in which AI and humans can work together to generate new and innovative ideas. Several experts believe that AI may be able to create good content but it needs human interventions to work properly. Thus, humans will remain relevant irrespective of what AI can do.
