Artists and authors are often hesitant to disclose that they have collaborated with AI – and these fears may be justified

Generative artificial intelligence has become an everyday part of creative work.

Novelists use it to develop plots. Musicians are experimenting with AI-generated sounds. Filmmakers incorporate it into their editing process. And when software company Adobe surveyed more than 2,500 creative professionals across four continents in 2024, it found that about 83% said they used AI in their work and 69% said it helped them express their creativity more effectively.

The appeal is understandable. New research shows that generative AI can support the creative process, sometimes producing results that humans prefer to create rather than work created by humans alone.

Still, there is an important caveat that my colleagues and I recently explored in our research: Positive views about creative work often change once people learn that AI is in play.

Because generative AI can create original content with minimal human effort, its use raises questions about quality.