tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/creativity-1773/articlesCreativity – The Conversation2024-03-20T13:59:13Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2223032024-03-20T13:59:13Z2024-03-20T13:59:13ZConspiracy theorists seem to favour an intuitive thinking style – here’s why that’s important<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580680/original/file-20240308-26-fcuzuc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=8%2C0%2C5982%2C3979&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/wrapped-mouth-forefinger-sign-conspiracy-1238620543">Ralf Geithe/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>I have been researching the psychology of conspiracy beliefs for seven years now and people often ask me why people believe in them. This is not a simple question. </p>
<p>There <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/pops.12568">are many reasons</a> people might endorse conspiracy theories. Something that stands out to me, though, is how our thinking styles can influence the way we process information and therefore <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2079-3200/11/11/207">how prone we can be</a> to conspiracy beliefs.</p>
<p>A preference for <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/acp.2995">intuitive thinking</a>, over <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/acp.3790">analytical thinking styles</a> seems to be linked to endorsement of conspiracy theories. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2079-3200/11/11/207">Intuitive thinking</a> is a thinking style reliant on immediate and unconscious judgments. It often follows gut feelings, whereas analytical thinking is about slower, more deliberate and detailed processing of information. </p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/intelligence-doesnt-make-you-immune-to-conspiracy-theories-its-more-about-thinking-style-220978">I’ve written before</a> about how we can develop a more effortful, analytical thinking style to reduce our predisposition to conspiracy beliefs. </p>
<p>Research has shown critical thinking skills have many life benefits. For example, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1871187116300384?casa_token=HdOYh26XhEgAAAAA:HYLmEBNeaggtWPqyvt94Mhhi4nNOvzPfji6tud3HPHB2Okhz4mEpzJ9HyX7Hmgal1jl8PkyJew">a study from 2017</a> found that people who scored higher in critical thinking skills reported fewer negative life events (for instance, getting a parking ticket or missing a flight). Critical thinking was a stronger predictor than intelligence for avoiding these types of events. It’s not clear why this is. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Girl thinking with arms resting on a table, arrows in different directions above her head" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580683/original/file-20240308-26-xrwt5a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580683/original/file-20240308-26-xrwt5a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580683/original/file-20240308-26-xrwt5a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580683/original/file-20240308-26-xrwt5a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580683/original/file-20240308-26-xrwt5a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=533&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580683/original/file-20240308-26-xrwt5a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=533&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580683/original/file-20240308-26-xrwt5a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=533&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Analytical thinking can make you less likely to believe in conspiracy theories.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/thinking-girl-solving-problem-135457706">Marijus Auruskevicius/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>On the other hand, <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2079-3200/11/11/207">intuitive thinking</a> has been linked to thinking errors. For example, intuitive thinking styles can lead to over-reliance on mental shortcuts, which can also increase susceptibility to <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/acp.2995">conspiracy theories</a>. </p>
<p>This can lead to dangerous consequences. For example, greater intuitive thinking has been linked to <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/08870446.2019.1673894?casa_token=pJXUleitfAQAAAAA:mgqoHZ9oqgTvliAYLVRwbCJET1kDYFE6P3tOsN3jIJjnVvnZq-a1beoHacw67dqGgzZR6hm3KpmY">anti-vaccine conspiracy beliefs</a> and vaccine hesitancy.</p>
<p>However, <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2017/06/29/steve-jobs-and-albert-einstein-both-attributed-their-extraordinary-success-to-this-personality-trait.html">extremely successful people</a>, such as Albert Einstein and Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, argued the importance of using their intuition and attributed their achievements to intuitive thinking. </p>
<h2>The value of intuitive thinking</h2>
<p>One benefit of <a href="https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/MD-04-2017-0333/full/html">intuitive thinking</a> is that it takes little or no processing time, which allows us to make decisions and judgments quickly. And, in some circumstances, this is vital. </p>
<p>People working in <a href="https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/MD-04-2017-0333/full/html">crisis environments </a>(such as the fire service) report the need to use intuitive thinking styles. During crises, it can be unrealistic to consistently use analytical thinking. </p>
<p>Experienced crisis managers often rely on intuitive thinking in the first instance, as their default strategy, but as the task allows, draw on more analytical thinking later on. Critical and intuitive thinking styles can be used in tandem. </p>
<p>What is important also is that this type of intuition develops through years of experience, which can produce <a href="https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/MD-04-2017-0333/full/html">expert intuition</a>. </p>
<p>Intuition can be crucial in other areas too. <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01420/full">Creativity</a> is often seen as a benefit of intuitive thinking styles. A review <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01420/full">conducted in 2016</a> of research into idea generation found that creativity is positively linked to intuitive thinking. </p>
<p>Although creativity is difficult to define, it can be thought of as similar to problem solving, where information is used to reach a goal, in a new or unexpected way. </p>
<p>However, it is also important to note that the 2016 review found that combining intuitive and analytical thinking styles was best for idea evaluation. </p>
<h2>What is the solution?</h2>
<p>Now, research often focuses on developing ways to improve analytical thinking in order to reduce endorsement of <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0010027714001632?casa_token=EczBVWzrbWsAAAAA:Hq12hyS1txB3Ia_eM5yCVuReXqoVyGafhz2CTrq5U2JkTDsJs7Wl-LKm7Op_H3JVXWF9K5YQLQ">dangerous conspiracy theories</a> or reduce <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fstl0000188">thinking errors and misconceptions</a>. </p>
<p>However, we often consider analytic and intuitive thinking styles as an either-or, and when making decisions or judgments we must choose one over the other. However, a 2015 <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/bdm.1903">meta-analysis</a> (where data from multiple studies are combined and analysed) of 50 years of cognitive style research found evidence that these thinking styles could happen at the same time. </p>
<p>Rather than two opposing ends of a spectrum, they are separate constructs, meaning that these thinking styles can happen together. Research in decision-making also suggests that <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01088/full">thinking style is flexible</a> and the best decisions are made when the thinking style a person uses aligns with the situation at hand. </p>
<p>Some situations are more suited to analytical thinking styles (such as number tasks) while some are more suited to using intuition (such as understanding facial expressions). An adaptive decision-maker is skilled in using both thinking styles.</p>
<p>So perhaps one way to reduce susceptibility to conspiracy theories is improving adaptive decision-making. <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0258985">My 2021 study</a> found that when people were confronted with the misconceptions they had previously made, overestimating the extent to which others endorse anti-vaccine conspiracy theories, they re-evaluated their decisions. This could suggest that thinking styles can depend on the situation and information at hand. </p>
<p>Although in many situations <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1871187116300384?casa_token=HdOYh26XhEgAAAAA:HYLmEBNeaggtWPqyvt94Mhhi4nNOvzPfji6tud3HPHB2Okhz4mEpzJ9HyX7Hmgal1jl8PkyJew">analytical thinking is better</a>, we shouldn’t dismiss the intuitive thinking style conspiracy theorists seem to favour as unworkable or inflexible. The answer could lie in understanding both thinking styles and being able to adjust our thinking styles when needed.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/222303/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Darel Cookson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The pros and pitfalls of this type of thinkingDarel Cookson, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, Nottingham Trent UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2205872024-02-01T13:32:23Z2024-02-01T13:32:23ZAI can help − and hurt − student creativity<p>Teachers across the country are grappling with whether to view AI tools like ChatGPT as friend or foe in the classroom. My research shows that the answer isn’t always simple. It can be both.</p>
<p>Teaching students to be creative thinkers rather than rely on AI for answers is the key to answering this question. That’s what my team and I found in our study on <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yjoc.2023.100072">whether AI affects student creativity</a>, published in the Journal of Creativity and representing scholars from the University of South Carolina, the University of California, Berkeley and Emerson College. </p>
<p>In the study, we asked college students to brainstorm – without technology – all the ways a paper clip can be used. A month later, we asked them to do the same, but using ChatGPT. We found that AI can be a useful brainstorming tool, quickly generating ideas that can spark creative exploration. But there are also potential negative effects on students’ creative thinking skills and self-confidence. While students reported that it was helpful to “have another brain,” they also felt that using AI was “the easy way out” and didn’t allow them to think on their own. </p>
<p>The results call for a thoughtful approach to using AI in classrooms and striking a balance that nurtures creativity while <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2022.100056">utilizing AI’s capabilities</a>. </p>
<h2>Why it matters</h2>
<p>Increasingly, students are using <a href="https://aiindex.stanford.edu/report/">AI for help with their schoolwork</a>. Whether it’s for drafting essays, learning new languages or studying history and science, AI tools are becoming a staple in students’ academic toolkit. </p>
<p>Students tend to view AI as having a <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/jintelligence10030065">positive impact on their creativity</a>. In our study, 100% of participants found AI helpful for brainstorming. Only 16% of students preferred to brainstorm without AI. </p>
<p>The good news is that the students in our study generated more diverse and detailed ideas when using AI. They found that AI was useful for kick-starting brainstorming sessions. Other research has shown that AI can also serve as a <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/frai.2022.880673">nonjudgmental partner for brainstorming</a>, which can prompt a free stream of ideas they might normally withhold in a group setting. </p>
<p>The downside of brainstorming with AI was that some students voiced concerns about overreliance on the technology, fearing it might undermine their own thoughts and, consequently, confidence in their creative abilities. Some students reported a “fixation of the mind,” meaning that once they saw the AI’s ideas, they had a hard time coming up with their own.</p>
<p>Some students also questioned the originality of ideas generated by AI. Our research supported these hunches. We noted that while using ChatGPT improved students’ creative output individually, the AI ideas tended to be repetitive overall. This is likely due to generative AI recycling existing content rather than creating original thought.</p>
<p>The study results indicate that allowing students to practice creativity independently first will <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2021.100966">strengthen their belief in themselves and their abilities</a>. Once they accomplish this, AI can be useful in furthering their learning, much like teaching long division to students before introducing a calculator.</p>
<h2>What still isn’t known</h2>
<p>Our study primarily explored AI’s application in the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1207/S15326934CRJ1334_07">idea-generation phase of creativity</a>, but we also emphasized the importance of developing skills at the start and end of the creative process. The essential tasks of defining problems and critically evaluating ideas still rely heavily on human input.</p>
<p>The creative process typically involves three phases, such as problem identification, idea generation and evaluation. AI shows promise in aiding students in the idea generation phase of the creative process, according to our study. However, the current generation of AI, such as ChatGPT-3, lacks the capacity for defining the problem and refining ideas into something actionable. </p>
<p>AI’s <a href="https://tech.ed.gov/ai-future-of-teaching-and-learning/">growing role in education</a> brings many advantages, but keeping the human element at the forefront is crucial.</p>
<h2>What’s next</h2>
<p>Content ownership, plagiarism and false or misleading information are among the current challenges for implementing AI in education. As generative AI gains popularity, schools are pressed to set guidelines to ensure these tools are used responsibly. Some states, such as <a href="https://www.edweek.org/technology/schools-desperately-need-guidance-on-ai-who-will-step-up/2023/11">California and Oregon</a>, have already developed guidelines for AI in education. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iotcps.2023.04.003">Ethical considerations</a> are vital for a positive relationship between creativity and AI.</p>
<p>Our team will continue to research the effect of AI on creativity, exploring its impact on agency, confidence and other phases of the creative process. AI in education is not just about the latest technology. It’s about shaping a future where human creativity and technological advancement progress hand in hand.</p>
<p><em>The <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/research-brief-83231">Research Brief</a> is a short take on interesting academic work.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/220587/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sabrina Habib does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A study in which students brainstormed all the uses of a paper clip shows that AI can both enhance and harm the creative process.Sabrina Habib, Associate Professor, University of South CarolinaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2142722023-12-27T20:26:08Z2023-12-27T20:26:08ZHow to get the most out of a visit to an art gallery with kids<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/558991/original/file-20231113-25-k3nymi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=32%2C0%2C5431%2C3637&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>In our house we have a favourite story about the time our toddler was dragged from the National Portrait Gallery kicking and screaming “I want to see more paintings!!!” </p>
<p>She needed lunch, we had to go, but she really loved the “Nick Cave Gallery”, as she called it, with his luminous portrait by <a href="https://www.portrait.gov.au/portraits/1999.16/nick-cave">Howard Arkley</a> on display.</p>
<p>What parenting miracle did we pull off to have a daughter that loves art galleries so much? We have always taken our kids to galleries. It’s what we do for fun and is what they want to do as teenagers. Visiting a new town or city, we check out local art wherever we can find it.</p>
<p>I have a long history of working with galleries and I am a practising artist, so gallery spaces are familiar to us and are meaningful places associated with joy, wonder and celebration. But you don’t need to be an artist to help your kids enjoy a gallery visit. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/four-tips-to-make-the-most-of-your-next-gallery-visit-161135">Four tips to make the most of your next gallery visit</a>
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<h2>Start young</h2>
<p>Children are naturally curious, so start young and make gallery visits a normal activity. </p>
<p>Expose babies to art as soon as possible: <a href="https://www.mca.com.au/learn/early-learning/research-project/">research</a> proves regular engagement with art develops children’s aesthetic sensibilities and even very young children can respond to art in complex ways.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/559017/original/file-20231113-17-3i07wn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A baby looks at a stuffed seagull." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/559017/original/file-20231113-17-3i07wn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/559017/original/file-20231113-17-3i07wn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/559017/original/file-20231113-17-3i07wn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/559017/original/file-20231113-17-3i07wn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/559017/original/file-20231113-17-3i07wn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/559017/original/file-20231113-17-3i07wn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/559017/original/file-20231113-17-3i07wn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Even very young children can respond to art in complex ways.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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<p>I remember my baby son neighing like a horse in front of a painting before he could talk. I looked at the painting he was staring at, Nicholas Harding’s <a href="https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/prizes/archibald/2005/28093/">Bob’s daily swim</a>. There in the thick, painterly background, was a horse. My son connected with the work because he loved horses.</p>
<h2>Before your visit</h2>
<p>Look for ways to introduce your child to artists before your visit. Art activities bring exhibits to life in fun and engaging ways. </p>
<p>For example, from the NGA you can make <a href="https://nga.gov.au/media/dd/documents/nga_artist_activity_sheets_poliness.6a7fd67.pdf">Sol Le Witt-inspired vegemite toast</a>. Suddenly, <a href="https://soundcloud.com/nationalgallery/nga-72606">Wall drawing no.380 a-d</a> (1982) takes on a whole new flavour, and your child is connected with the work before they see it. </p>
<p>Try to tap into your child’s interests. If they like superheroes, pop icons or Hollywood stars they might just love to see a show by Yankunytjatjara artist <a href="https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/exhibition/2023-mecca-holiday-collaboration/">Kaylene Whiskey</a>. </p>
<p>Marilyn JS Goodman’s brilliant book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Children-Draw-Guide-When-Make/dp/1780239890">Children Draw</a> includes tips on taking your child to a gallery: consider going on a weekday when it’s less crowded, include the cafe, and, importantly, don’t try to see everything – for younger children plan on spending no more than an hour and don’t try to look at too many art works. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/559019/original/file-20231113-29-6mo2ep.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Two teenage girls look at art." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/559019/original/file-20231113-29-6mo2ep.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/559019/original/file-20231113-29-6mo2ep.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/559019/original/file-20231113-29-6mo2ep.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/559019/original/file-20231113-29-6mo2ep.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/559019/original/file-20231113-29-6mo2ep.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/559019/original/file-20231113-29-6mo2ep.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/559019/original/file-20231113-29-6mo2ep.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Making visiting a gallery a normal part of life.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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<p>Let your child take the lead and include them in the planning. Planning a trip together may be the perfect time to ask questions and share knowledge: “did you know we can’t touch artwork in galleries? Do you know why?” </p>
<p>This can not only help avoid awkward situations with security guards but also helps your child to understand why we don’t touch art (we need to protect the artworks), and may encourage further inquiry into the art or gallery.</p>
<h2>There’s no right or wrong response</h2>
<p>Some adults may feel uncomfortable talking about art. Just try having a conversation about what you see, and be prepared to be amazed by what your child observes.</p>
<p>Start by asking your child questions: what are you noticing about this exhibition? What stories are these works telling? What do you think about when you look at this artwork? </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/559018/original/file-20231113-15-wg8y9j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A girl and her mum look at ancient pottery." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/559018/original/file-20231113-15-wg8y9j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/559018/original/file-20231113-15-wg8y9j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/559018/original/file-20231113-15-wg8y9j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/559018/original/file-20231113-15-wg8y9j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/559018/original/file-20231113-15-wg8y9j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/559018/original/file-20231113-15-wg8y9j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/559018/original/file-20231113-15-wg8y9j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Ask questions like ‘what does it make you wonder?’</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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<p>In schools, you might hear teachers use <a href="https://pz.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/See%20Think%20Wonder.pdf">thinking routines</a>: what do you see? What do you think about that? What does it make you wonder? This stimulates curiosity and encourages students to make careful observations and thoughtful interpretations. </p>
<p>Some galleries use <a href="https://vtshome.org/">Visual Thinking Strategies</a>, which also consists of three questions: what’s going on in this picture? What makes you say that? What else can we find?</p>
<p>You don’t have to like what you see. This can even be a great stimulus for discussions with your child: does art have to be beautiful to be good? Why do people make art? What was that exhibition about?</p>
<h2>Interact with the art</h2>
<p>You are allowed to take pencil and paper into most galleries and drawing is a great way of looking and slowing down your experience. </p>
<p>Most galleries have seating where you can sit and draw. Try taking a sketchbook for you and one for your child. Role model drawing, taking your time. You are not aiming to make a masterpiece but to use drawing to map out what you see. </p>
<p>Compare drawings and swap notes. Ask your child what they noticed and share what you found.</p>
<p>Another fun game in a gallery is to pose like the sculptures and paintings.</p>
<p>Most galleries offer programs for children and families. By attending tours you can pick up excellent tips from the educators who are experts at engaging children. They use simple and effective methods such as rolling a piece of paper up into a telescope to look at a work.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/559020/original/file-20231113-29-y77vl9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Children on the floor drawing." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/559020/original/file-20231113-29-y77vl9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/559020/original/file-20231113-29-y77vl9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/559020/original/file-20231113-29-y77vl9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/559020/original/file-20231113-29-y77vl9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/559020/original/file-20231113-29-y77vl9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/559020/original/file-20231113-29-y77vl9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/559020/original/file-20231113-29-y77vl9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Most galleries offer programs for children and families.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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</figure>
<p>Some galleries also have children’s trails especially designed for engaging children. And if they don’t, you can make things up like how many trees can you see? Or can you find any animals in this exhibition?</p>
<h2>After the visit</h2>
<p>In a <a href="https://theconversation.com/holiday-help-an-art-expert-suggests-screen-free-things-to-do-in-every-room-of-the-house-202947">previous article</a> I talked about extending your child’s experience after a gallery visit and how a comic my son made gave me an insight into his feeling about what he had seen at the gallery.</p>
<p>Make it a special day out together. At the end of the day you want your child to enjoy the experience and foster a love of art.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/holiday-help-an-art-expert-suggests-screen-free-things-to-do-in-every-room-of-the-house-202947">Holiday help! An art expert suggests screen-free things to do in every room of the house</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/214272/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Naomi Zouwer does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Give children credit, agency and listen to them and you will have a successful visit.Naomi Zouwer, Visual Artist and Lecturer in Teacher Education, University of CanberraLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2144512023-12-05T13:17:51Z2023-12-05T13:17:51ZScience is a human right − and its future is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/563006/original/file-20231201-18-5swfti.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C1506%2C1127&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">There was no opposition to designating science as a human right.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://flic.kr/p/Z8dpgi">United Nations Photo/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Dec. 10 marks the anniversary of the <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/en/get-involved/campaign/udhr-75">1948 signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights</a>, adopted by the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-un-declared-a-universal-human-right-to-a-healthy-sustainable-environment-heres-where-resolutions-like-this-can-lead-188060">United Nations</a> in the aftermath of the Holocaust. Though contested, imperfect and unfulfilled, the declaration remains a milestone in human civilization as one of the earliest times the world came together to distill and assert general principles key to peaceful living on this planet.</p>
<p>Nested in <a href="https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights">Article 27</a> of the declaration is a lesser-known right: the human right to science. As a <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=P4wXu3IAAAAJ&hl=en">legal scholar</a>, I have immersed myself in the study of this human right for the past six years. This process has allowed me to uncover a <a href="https://ssrn.com/abstract=4054555">multifaceted right</a> containing many entitlements that, together, can reshape the current relationship between science, society and the state.</p>
<p>Even though the international community has paid little attention to this right, and many people may be unfamiliar with it, the human right to science is an important part of the declaration. I believe its dual potential to protect the value of science in society and ensure that science serves humanity is worth discovering and appreciating as a framework to govern scientific progress.</p>
<h2>Short history of the human right to science</h2>
<p>Article 27 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights reads: “Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.” </p>
<p>The drafters capitalized on the earlier work of the authors of the <a href="https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/565094?ln=en">American Declaration of Human Rights</a>, which had recognized science as a human right just a few months before. In that context, the Chilean delegation argued that culture, the arts and science are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108776301.004">crucial forms of human expression</a> deserving the highest recognition.</p>
<p>The transition from the American to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was almost seamless. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/13642987.2023.2269091">No opposition was mounted</a> against its inclusion among the human rights. Rather, the debate focused on the legitimacy of governments, under human rights law, to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108776301.003">impose political aims on science</a>, an issue that could not be ignored after the <a href="https://www.trumanlibrary.gov/education/presidential-inquiries/decision-drop-atomic-bomb">U.S. deployment of atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki</a> in August 1945. Ultimately, the view that science should be pursued for the sake of truth and not be tied to any specific purpose prevailed.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">The goal of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was to set a standard of human dignity and worth around the world.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The right to science was reaffirmed with the <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/international-covenant-economic-social-and-cultural-rights">International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights</a> in 1966 and by the <a href="https://docstore.ohchr.org/SelfServices/FilesHandler.ashx?enc=4slQ6QSmlBEDzFEovLCuW1a0Szab0oXTdImnsJZZVQdxONLLLJiul8wRmVtR5Kxx73i0Uz0k13FeZiqChAWHKFuBqp%2B4RaxfUzqSAfyZYAR%2Fq7sqC7AHRa48PPRRALHB">United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights</a> in 2020.</p>
<h2>Science as a cultural right</h2>
<p>History is an important guide for the international community as it rediscovers the human right to science. The choice to include science among the cultural rights but distinguish it from other cultural expressions has important consequences for how the human right to science is valued and applied.</p>
<p>By including science among the cultural rights, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights pays tribute to science as an expression of human creativity. As part of culture, science embodies ingeniousness in managing the fragility of the human condition by attempting to know more about it.</p>
<p>The point is well developed in a 2012 report by the then-Special Rapporteur on Cultural Rights Farida Shaheed. There she writes, “The right to participate in cultural life <a href="https://undocs.org/en/A/HRC/20/26">entails ensuring conditions</a> that allow people to reconsider, create and contribute to cultural meanings and manifestations in a continuously developing manner.” The right to science “entails the same possibilities in the field of science, understood as knowledge that is testable and refutable, including revisiting and refuting existing theorems and understandings.”</p>
<p>Science is thus a meaning-making activity that emerges from the scientific community’s concerted effort to deploy human creativity to make sense of the world that people inhabit, including our own selves. This is possible only when human creativity is recognized and guarded. The drafters of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights did not fail to pick up on this cue and included <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.shpsa.2010.03.003">scientific freedom</a> as an element of the human right to science. It asks states to agree to “<a href="https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/international-covenant-economic-social-and-cultural-rights">respect the freedom indispensable</a> for scientific research and creative activity.”</p>
<p>The recognition of scientific freedom as a human right casts science and scientists with a special status in society. They possess the <a href="https://radar.gesda.global/trends/invited-contributions/responsible-anticipation">power and responsibility</a> to do good for humanity. These benefits, though, can materialize only if scientific creativity is unleashed and protected.</p>
<h2>Science’s unique contribution</h2>
<p>The Universal Declaration of Human Rights purposely distinguished “scientific advancement and its benefits” from “the cultural life of the community” and “the arts.” Textual analysis is at the <a href="https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/legal-interpretation/">core of legal interpretation</a>, making this choice of words consequential. Parsing cultural rights into three areas – the cultural life, the arts and scientific advancement – and connecting “benefits” to “scientific advancement” signal that what science offers to society is qualitatively different from other forms of culture.</p>
<p>People use a variety of knowledge systems along with science in their daily lives. These include religion, local traditions, indigenous knowledge and superstition. In this mix, science is assigned unique explanatory and practical powers that allow it “to provide the most <a href="https://policylabs.frontiersin.org/content/commentary-science-and-science-systems-beyond-semantics">reliable and inclusive way</a> to understand the universe and the world around and within us.” </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/563009/original/file-20231201-27-prtx2n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Profile view of scientist looking into a microscope" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/563009/original/file-20231201-27-prtx2n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/563009/original/file-20231201-27-prtx2n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/563009/original/file-20231201-27-prtx2n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/563009/original/file-20231201-27-prtx2n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/563009/original/file-20231201-27-prtx2n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/563009/original/file-20231201-27-prtx2n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/563009/original/file-20231201-27-prtx2n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Science offers a unique and indispensable way of seeing the world.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/female-mixed-race-university-student-using-royalty-free-image/1332763977">Azman Jaka/E+ via Getty Images</a></span>
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<p>The arts uniquely capture universal emotions and can mobilize action, but the artistic experience is inherently subjective and individual. Religion can also organize collective action but is based on conditions of faith rather than trust. By contrast, science stands out as a <a href="https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000263618">unique source of shared understanding</a> of what happens in the world around us and inside us. As a collective and concerted attempt to discover truths about the physical and social worlds, science offers reliable insights that can be used as a rational basis for collective action, including policy. Furthermore, science is uniquely positioned to produce benefits for humanity in the form of applied knowledge.</p>
<p>An example of the universal and beneficial character of science is <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3232561/">knowledge around cardiac pacing</a> that led to the development of pacemakers to treat arrhythmias. Emerging from the confluence of medicine, biology, physics, chemistry and engineering, the basic and applied knowledge behind pacemakers is universal because the principles used to develop them is consistent across the planet and can be replicated by any lab. Furthermore, the devices are incontrovertibly beneficial to any person suffering from <a href="https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/pacemakers/who-needs">certain heart conditions</a>, irrespective of their creed, identity or nationality. </p>
<p>If you are not persuaded, just think about how the <a href="https://doi.org/10.2147%2FOPTO.S257081">development of eye glasses</a> has improved visual impairment around the world.</p>
<h2>Cultivating science for the benefit of humankind</h2>
<p>In 1948, the international community agreed to elevate science as a protected human right. The drafters of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights endowed the generations following them with the challenge of using international law to build a better, more peaceful world. </p>
<p>While not a panacea, reaffirming why science is valuable can help improve how it’s practiced and taught, as well as help scientists <a href="https://theconversation.com/most-americans-do-trust-scientists-and-science-based-policy-making-freaking-out-about-the-minority-who-dont-isnt-helpful-193085">build trust</a> among the public.</p>
<p>Bringing these principles to life requires the public to support science and demand that it serves humankind. The human right to science gives policymakers and the scientific community the tools to realize this agenda. It is up to everyone to make good use of this gift.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/214451/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Andrea Boggio does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Decades ago, the international community codified science as a cultural right and protected expression of human creativity. Reaffirming science’s value can help it better serve humanity.Andrea Boggio, Professor of Politics, Law and Society, Bryant UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2163192023-11-16T06:05:41Z2023-11-16T06:05:41ZCreative minds are vulnerable to mental illness – but magicians escape the curse<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/557995/original/file-20231107-25-ya20uw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=132%2C114%2C3650%2C2420&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/magician-playing-cards-fantasy-card-black-1006971310">1STudio.az/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Can you think of a comedian, actor, poet or writer who suffered from mental illness? Maybe the actor <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/robin-williams-mental-health-zak-son/">Robin Williams</a> or comedian <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/stephen-fry-mental-health-bipolar-disorder-fearne-cotton-podcast-happy-place-a8274051.html">Stephen Fry</a> came to your mind. Perhaps it was the writer <a href="https://www.scielo.br/j/rbp/a/zPQjcnbcv4Kyy3cHkyJJQ7z/#:%7E:text=Virginia%20went%20through%20several%20severe,the%20severity%20of%20the%20episode.">Virginia Woolf</a>. All three have had well-documented struggles with bipolar disorder.</p>
<p>Mental illnesses have been associated with creative thinking for a long time. For instance, mathematician <a href="https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/economic-sciences/1994/nash/facts/">John Nash’s</a> battle with schizophrenia was immortalised in the film <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0268978/">A Beautiful Mind</a> (2001).</p>
<p>Research supports this link, showing that people with mental illnesses such as schizophrenia are more likely to work in <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/the-british-journal-of-psychiatry/article/creativity-and-mental-disorder-family-study-of-300-000-people-with-severe-mental-disorder/D45848CE35BFC3397FD3CC4F3E15055F">creative jobs</a>. It also shows that creative groups, including <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/the-british-journal-of-psychiatry/article/psychotic-traits-in-comedians/AB69ACDB8B48B934DC4DE15B0EA3E2A8">stand-up comedians</a>, artists and scientists, are often more likely to face challenges with their mental health.</p>
<p>But are all creative people created equal? Our new <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/bjpsych-open/article/psychotic-and-autistic-traits-among-magicians-and-their-relationship-with-creative-beliefs/A404241D8126664D0EDD1989288F431D">study</a> aimed to explore whether a unique creative group that had never been studied before – magicians – exhibited similar proclivities to some mental illnesses such as schizophrenia. We also looked at whether they were more likely to have a neurodivergent difference, such as autism.</p>
<p>Many researchers believe that both mental illness and neurodivergence can enhance creative thinking. Scientist <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Temple-Grandin">Temple Grandin</a> is a famous example of this. She credits her experience of being on the autism spectrum for the development of a <a href="https://truhugs.com/research-science/do-weighted-blankets-work-temple-grandin-hugging-machine/">hug machine</a> that helps handle livestock in a more humane way, and was later adopted by other autistic people. </p>
<p>Mental health conditions may range from anxiety or depression to personality disorders or psychosis. When someone experiences psychosis, it is measured on a <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16417985/">continuum</a>, with only those experiencing certain patterns and episodes being diagnosed with schizophrenia. </p>
<p>People not clinically diagnosed with schizophrenia, for example, such as those with fewer episodes or less intense symptoms of psychosis, sometimes experience mind wandering and disorganised thinking. This can be challenging for focus but may be beneficial for fostering creativity.</p>
<p>Magicians are unique in that they both create their own shows and perform them. In this sense, they are similar to comedians. Most other creative groups either create or perform but not both. However, unlike comedians, there is much more at stake in a magic performance. If a comedian’s joke falls flat, it may be unpleasant, but it’s unlikely to ruin the entire show. </p>
<p>With a few good jokes that make the audience laugh, the comedian can get back on track. In contrast, one failed magic trick can be disastrous and opportunities to recover during the act can be few and far between.</p>
<p>Magicians, therefore, need to be extremely precise in their performance and possess highly technical skills, all while entertaining the audience simultaneously. This unique work environment and skill set make them an intriguing creative group to study. We carried out our own research with the assistance of a professional magician.</p>
<h2>Magical thinking</h2>
<p>Our study included 195 magicians, primarily from the UK and the US, with an average of 35 years of experience in performing magic. This included close-up magicians, mentalists, card experts and large-stage magicians. The magicians completed questionnaires assessing their tendencies toward autistic and psychotic traits. These were then compared to a sample of non-magicians with a similar age range and and gender distribution, as well as other creative groups such as comedians, poets, actors and musicians.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Hieronymus Bosch painter of a magician." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/557993/original/file-20231107-25-2m00rf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/557993/original/file-20231107-25-2m00rf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/557993/original/file-20231107-25-2m00rf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/557993/original/file-20231107-25-2m00rf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/557993/original/file-20231107-25-2m00rf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=627&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/557993/original/file-20231107-25-2m00rf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=627&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/557993/original/file-20231107-25-2m00rf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=627&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Hieronymus Bosch painter of a magician.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">wikipedia</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
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<p>The magicians did not exhibit any predisposition for autistic traits, scoring similarly to the general population. However, magicians scored lower on nearly every psychotic symptom compared to the general sample and other creative groups.</p>
<p>In particular, these magicians demonstrated a very high ability to concentrate, lower levels of social anxiety and fewer instances of unusual experiences, distorted thoughts and hallucinations. All these traits are highly advantageous for the work of magicians, as they enable them to focus and pay attention to their craft without distractions. </p>
<p>The magicians we studied also did not display any tendency for anti-social behaviour and had good self-control. While these traits are valuable for many creative groups, such as artists and comedians, they are less critical for a magic performance. Magic performances are social events, often involving the audience and sometimes using assistants. So being friendly and affable is a key ingredient for a successful show.</p>
<p>In this regard, magicians are more similar to scientists who also score low on psychotic symptoms. Both require high levels of organisation and perseverance in their work. Moreover, just as scientists often explore different solutions to the same problem, magicians can perform the same magic trick in multiple ways.</p>
<p>Magicians vary in the level of creativity in their performances. While some magicians can be edgy and innovative (just watch David Copperfield’s famous flying illusion below), many magicians can build successful careers by performing familiar tricks, sometimes with their own tweaks, without the need to create new tricks. </p>
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<p>Unlike other creative groups who have more flexibility in their work and may improvise during their performances, magic shows require discipline and need to be repeated exactly the same way for the tricks to work.</p>
<p>The magician’s oath not to reveal the secrets behind the tricks allows them to perform the same tricks repeatedly without the audience getting bored and also preserves the mystery of the act.</p>
<p>So unlike with other creative endeavours, mental illness and developmental differences may be counterproductive to magician’s work. It is possible that aspiring magicians with higher levels of psychotic and autistic traits find it very difficult to succeed in this profession.</p>
<p>Ultimately, our study illustrates that not all creative individuals are created equal, and the association between creativity and psychopathology is more complex than previously thought.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/216319/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Gil Greengross does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Research suggests magicians lack magical thinking.Gil Greengross, Lecturer in Psychology, Aberystwyth UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2141492023-09-27T20:04:52Z2023-09-27T20:04:52ZWill AI kill our creativity? It could – if we don’t start to value and protect the traits that make us human<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/550530/original/file-20230927-23-bj9ssa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=3%2C7%2C1019%2C1014&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock AI</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>There’s no doubt generative AI’s ability to rapidly produce new texts, images and audio is shaking up creative jobs. </p>
<p>In the long-running <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_Writers_Guild_of_America_strike">Writers Guild of America strike</a>, a central <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/pop-culture-news/writers-strike-negotiations-hung-language-ai-sources-say-rcna117041">sticking point</a> has been the guild’s demand that AI be used only as a research tool and <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/writers-strike-ai-chatgpt-1235478681/">not a replacement</a> for its members. For many <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/05/generative-ai-creative-jobs/">creative types</a>, it seems harder to earn a living with AI around.</p>
<p>At the same time, however, AI tools are often seen as <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/joemckendrick/2023/07/16/ai-may-or-may-not-be-able-to-mimic-human-creativity-but-certainly-can-boost-it/?sh=47721eee4159">a springboard</a> to next-level <a href="https://theconversation.com/ai-scores-in-the-top-percentile-of-creative-thinking-211598">human creativity</a>. Technologies such as Anthropic’s chatbot <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/sep/25/amazon-invest-openai-rival-anthropic-microsoft-chat-gpt">Claude</a> and OpenAI’s ChatGPT and <a href="https://openai.com/dall-e-3">Dall-E 3</a> offer a seductive creative experience.</p>
<p>Will these tools help us survive and thrive as a creative species? Or are they the death knell of creativity as we know it?</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/3-ways-ai-is-transforming-music-210598">3 ways AI is transforming music</a>
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<h2>What is creativity?</h2>
<p>In her book <a href="https://www.routledge.com/The-Creative-Mind-Myths-and-Mechanisms/Boden/p/book/9780415314534">The Creative Mind</a>, cognitive science expert Margaret Boden distinguishes between two types of human creativity.</p>
<p>Psychological or personal (p-type) creativity happens when an individual thinks something for the first time – even if others have thought it separately before. One example is a child realising water can take any shape. </p>
<p>Essentially, p-type creativity is learning something useful and, in the process, synchronising our thoughts with others.</p>
<p>Historical creativity (h-type), on the other hand, happens when an individual thinks something that has never been thought before. One example would be Archimedes’s “eureka” moment in the bath, which supposedly <a href="https://uakron.edu/polymer/agpa-k12outreach/professional-development-modules/pdf/float_your_boat_archimedes.pdf">led to him</a> discovering the law of buoyancy.</p>
<p>The more someone’s creativity subsequently affects other people’s thinking, the more momentous and enduring we consider their legacy. </p>
<p>This is why <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wandjina">Wandjina rock art</a> in the Kimberley, Homer’s <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iliad">Iliad</a>, Pablo Picasso’s <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guernica_(Picasso)">Guernica</a>, Frank Lloyd Wright’s <a href="https://fallingwater.org/">Fallingwater house</a> and Albert Einstein’s <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annus_mirabilis_papers">Annus Mirabilis papers</a> are all considered exceptional works left behind by exceptional humans. They are important because they continue to shape our thinking.</p>
<h2>Generative AI doesn’t belong in either category</h2>
<p>AI obviously has the potential to promote both p-type and h-type creativity. It can lead us to insights about biology, history and mathematics, and help us create texts and images that may be useful or thought-provoking.</p>
<p>But there is one key difference between human creativity and AI-driven creativity: the latter doesn’t stem from the evolutionary clash of mind and world.</p>
<p>AI models don’t contain reality. They rely on the complex statistical <a href="https://www.zdnet.com/article/how-does-chatgpt-work/">abstraction of digital data</a>. This limits their real-world creative significance and their capacity to produce “eureka” moments.</p>
<p>To differentiate AI-driven creativity from old-fashioned creativity, <a href="https://www.brandingmag.com/cameron-shackell/generic-creativity-might-be-your-new-customer-touchpoint/">I have proposed</a> a new term: generic, or g-type, creativity. It formalises the fact that while AI models are capable of provoking new thought, they are <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4535536">limited</a> by the underlying data they have been trained on.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/ai-art-is-everywhere-right-now-even-experts-dont-know-what-it-will-mean-189800">AI art is everywhere right now. Even experts don't know what it will mean</a>
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<h2>The big risk: a generic spiral</h2>
<p>We can expect an <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/quantumblack/our-insights/the-state-of-ai-in-2023-generative-ais-breakout-year">explosion</a> in g-type creativity in our future. The danger here is that our increasing use of AI could make us think too much alike, leading to a decrease in cognitive diversity and an increase in <a href="https://innovation-entrepreneurship.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s13731-022-00219-2">cultural tightness</a>. </p>
<p>In this scenario, societies would become more rigid in the norms they enforce, and less tolerant of deviations from the status quo. At a population level this would be a <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-018-0516-z">creativity killer</a>.</p>
<p>The threat isn’t just AI-generated movies, TV, books and art. In the future, the homes we live in, the cars we drive (or won’t have to drive) and our shared public spaces will all be shaped by AI. We may see our thinking become homogenised under the pressure of increasingly <a href="https://eprints.qut.edu.au/132780/1/0473.pdf">similar environments and experiences</a>. </p>
<p>This sameness further put us at risk of a generic spiral. AI models are trained on content we create. So the more we use AI for g-type creativity, the more generic our content will become – and since this will be used to further train AI, the more generic AI outputs will become. </p>
<p>While this might be useful for <a href="https://theconversation.com/in-future-well-see-fewer-generic-ai-chatbots-like-chatgpt-and-more-specialised-ones-that-are-tailored-to-our-needs-212578">certain specialist tasks</a> – such as consistently interpreting law – it’s worrying to contemplate the kind of Orwellian political economy a generic spiral might give rise to.</p>
<h2>Can we enjoy AI and also preserve creativity?</h2>
<p>Balancing and reconciling human creativity with AI isn’t as simple as going for regular <a href="https://www.wanderlust.co.uk/content/the-worlds-best-walking-routes/">walks in nature</a> – although that will probably help.</p>
<p>Generative AI may well be a transformative technology to rival <a href="https://www.mainz.de/microsite/gutenberg-museum-en/index.php">the printing press</a> or <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_engine">steam engine</a>. Such juggernauts are difficult to resist; we collectively get swept up in the change, uncertainty and alienation they foment. </p>
<p>Some of the best minds of our generation are already abandoning other pursuits to try their luck at building and using advanced AI models.</p>
<p>Our best chance to remain truly creative is to protect and privilege the human over the artificial. Intellectual property law is key. Any further moves towards <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_person">legal personhood</a> for AI – such as allowing AI a “<a href="https://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-fairuse.html">fair use</a>” right to train itself on <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/jul/10/sarah-silverman-sues-openai-meta-copyright-infringement">copyrighted material</a>, or have <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4565695">copyright applied to AI outputs</a> – will erode our creative system and risk a generic spiral in human creativity.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/214149/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Cameron Shackell does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>AI could kill our creativity by making us think too alike. It also forces us to question what “creativity” is, and the different forms it can take.Cameron Shackell, Sessional Academic and Visitor, School of Information Systems, Queensland University of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2125812023-09-18T14:54:10Z2023-09-18T14:54:10ZAnxiety and stress really can be lowered through colouring – here’s what our research has found<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/547743/original/file-20230912-19-o1gydp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C8688%2C5774&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Colouring works in a similar way as mindfulness by helping people stay focused on the present moment.
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/close-relaxed-woman-coloring-adult-book-439173496">Jacob Lund/ Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>When we think of the best ways to reduce stress, we might picture activities such as exercise or meditation. But while these pursuits certainly work for some people, they aren’t the only techniques you can use to reduce stress.</p>
<p>Over the past couple of years, adult colouring books have also become a popular hobby for people looking to relax. Although the activity might be simple, our research has shown colouring really can be an effective way of reducing stress and improving wellbeing. We’ve shown that colouring is an easy way to lower anxiety and reduce burnout – especially when combined with mindfulness practices.</p>
<p><a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2003-03824-002">Mindfulness</a> is the deliberate practice of paying close attention to what’s happening in the present moment, without making judgements about any thoughts, emotions or distractions that happen.</p>
<p>Some people use meditation techniques during mindfulness to help them focus – such as concentrating on their breathing to help them stay in the present moment. The act of colouring can also work in a similar way by helping people stay focused on the present. So, we ran a series of studies to see if colouring mindfully could improve people’s wellbeing.</p>
<p>In <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00056/full">one study</a>, we investigated what effect colouring paired with mindfulness had on the wellbeing of university students. We divided 72 participants into two groups. One group received a colouring page and were told how to practice mindfulness while colouring. </p>
<p>Instructions included guidance on relaxing their body, focusing their attention on the task and sensation of colouring, and what to do if they found their mind was wandering. The other group simply coloured without any mindfulness guidance. </p>
<p>After the session, the group with mindfulness instructions reported feeling less anxious and more focused after colouring. The non-mindfulness group did not experience similar benefits. This suggests that using mindfulness while colouring can help to lower anxiety. However, some people didn’t like having instructions while colouring, which reduced the benefits of mindful colouring.</p>
<p>In another experiment, we investigated what effect using videos to <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40688-020-00279-9">teach mindful colouring</a> had on 35 teachers from the UK. Participants were split into two groups. One group was given a daily mindful colouring activity for a total of five days. The other group continued with their working week as usual.</p>
<p>The teachers who practised mindful colouring reported feeling less stressed and more mindful and resilient. Learning how to colour mindfully before the activity may have helped participants to reap the best rewards from it.</p>
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<img alt="A woman colours in a colouring book." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/547747/original/file-20230912-3061-f9594z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/547747/original/file-20230912-3061-f9594z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=370&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547747/original/file-20230912-3061-f9594z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=370&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547747/original/file-20230912-3061-f9594z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=370&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547747/original/file-20230912-3061-f9594z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=465&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547747/original/file-20230912-3061-f9594z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=465&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547747/original/file-20230912-3061-f9594z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=465&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Colouring may help reduce stress.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/close-view-female-drawing-adult-coloring-456523417">Jacob Lund/ Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>But a question that still remained after our research was whether mindful colouring offers similar benefits as traditional meditation practices. This is why we conducted another experiment, which compared <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/15401383.2021.1884159?casa_token=lBKFMeR1dh0AAAAA:mPiBM9765VHyn7ag5jEkXs1LkN8yjtaWFURN3JnhGPq71puDqYAEPH8GiRVmbJ7JJ2LAL5g9yJh0">colouring to meditation</a>. </p>
<p>We looked at mindful colouring versus a specific type of meditation practice called <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272735811001115?casa_token=R29THaNX0rIAAAAA:9BFTUtdzWlPE42w7XELy6wzuyDS_f5FFImYgdSm5YU5UP0sxFhrebSZQDiwEHJ_Xrv8ZlXpoQg">loving-kindness meditation</a>. Typically just used during meditation, this helps cultivate benevolence by focusing on sending good wishes or thoughts to yourself and others, and is shown to improve <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0133481">wellbeing and reduce stress</a>. </p>
<p>We divided 180 participants into two groups. One group received a colouring page and were told how to practice loving-kindness colouring. The other group was taught how to practice loving-kindness meditation. </p>
<p>The results showed that colouring and meditating with loving-kindness helped people equally well to be more mindful and less anxious. This means that mindful colouring may work just as well as meditation in reducing anxiety.</p>
<h2>Being mindful</h2>
<p>Overall, our research shows that colouring can be a great way to relax and feel better – especially when combined with mindfulness. This may be because mindfulness reminds people to stay present in the moment and overcome feelings and thoughts that cause them stress. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8083197/">Research in mindfulness</a> indicates it can also have many other health benefits, including reducing pain and even insomnia.</p>
<p>If you want to try mindful colouring yourself, start by finding a quiet and comfortable place where you can focus without distractions. Choose your materials wisely. Having too many colours may be distracting. Abstract colouring pages can be more useful in allowing you to focus on the activity, rather than choosing logical colours for objects – such as trees or eyes.</p>
<p>While you’re colouring, observe your thoughts. If they wander off, or any other thoughts or feelings come up, simply let them go. Refocus on the colours transferring onto the page or your hand movements. It’s all about being present, so every time your mind wanders off, let it go and refocus on colouring.</p>
<p>If colouring isn’t your thing, research shows that mindfulness can be used alongside a range of other activities and still confer wellbeing and mental health benefits. For example, <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07421656.2023.2206775">drawing</a> can help people to manage their anxiety, as can <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF03354620">knitting</a>. Even mindfully doing simple chores such as <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12671-014-0360-9?wt_mc=Affiliate.CommissionJunction.Authors.3.EPR1089.DeepLink&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=commission_junction_authors&utm_campaign=3_nsn6445_deeplink&utm_content=deeplink&utm_term=3987228">washing the dishes</a> can be effective. <a href="https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2013/489856/">Walking</a> can also help to reduce stress. </p>
<p>Whatever activity you choose, no matter how simple, can still have a positive effect on wellbeing if you focus on being in the moment.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/212581/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Combining the practice with mindfulness is key.Michael Mantzios, Professor of Applied and Experimental Psychology, Birmingham City UniversityKyriaki Giannou, Lecturer in Applied Psychology, De Montfort UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2110172023-09-15T12:31:04Z2023-09-15T12:31:04ZAnxiety can often be a drag on creativity, upending the trope of the tortured artist<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/546477/original/file-20230905-19-xuho6l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C487%2C5145%2C3245&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Creative journeys often entail entering the unknown -- and doing it on your own.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/man-on-a-mission-royalty-free-image/1369468881?phrase=minimalism+minimal+surreal+journey">DNY59/iStock via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>In the U.S., anxiety disorders affect about <a href="https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/any-anxiety-disorder">one-third of the population</a>. So it’s no surprise that a good number of artists and writers also suffer from anxiety and depression.</p>
<p>But whereas some critics see Vincent Van Gogh’s striking paintings and Sylvia Plath’s confessional poetry <a href="https://www.thecollector.com/sylvia-plath-famous-poet/">as the direct result of their psychosis and depression</a>, I tend to be less romantic about this subject. I see their brilliant output as having happened in spite of – rather than because of – their mental anguish.</p>
<p>In my new book, “<a href="https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781538170380/Afraid-Understanding-the-Purpose-of-Fear-and-Harnessing-the-Power-of-Anxiety">Afraid</a>,” I explore the interaction between fear, anxiety and creative work. </p>
<p>They’re more intertwined than you might think: Depending on the situation, fear and anxiety can either inspire or impede. But when anxiety becomes overwhelming, creative work often stalls.</p>
<h2>Anxiety as a roadblock</h2>
<p>The most basic way anxiety can hinder creative work is by shifting attention away from that work and toward fears and worries. </p>
<p>If a writer is worried about losing her day job, it’s harder for her to focus on her writing. Excessive anxiety bypasses all nonthreat-related tasks, and people regress <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/learning-brain-vs-survival-brain-6749311">to basic survival mode</a>. Most attention, thinking and emotions will be focused on dealing with the source of the danger, whether it’s real or imagined. And creative minds are especially adept at the latter.</p>
<p>Because fears center on survival, <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/fixing-families/202212/are-you-too-routinized-too-rigid-maybe-youre-anxious">people become less flexible and more wary</a> when they’re scared and anxious. At that point, going down a known path is far more appealing than taking risks and venturing into the unknown. Suffice to say, an aversion to the unknown won’t often lead to creative breakthroughs.</p>
<p>Another way fear can hinder creativity has to do with fear of rejection.</p>
<p>Friends, family, colleagues and critics <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/10/why-new-ideas-fail/381275/">often resist</a> unusual ideas or those that stray from established artistic norms. Aside from arising out of envy and competition, these reflexive reactions also make sense from <a href="https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2009.0134">an evolutionary perspective</a>: Norms and agreed-upon ways of thinking cultivate group harmony. History is filled with the rejection, mockery and oppression of novel ideas and styles deemed too “out there” – painters <a href="https://www.famsf.org/stories/memorable-rejections-monet-and-the-artists-struggle-part-one#">Claude Monet</a> and <a href="https://truthout.org/articles/honoring-radical-women-worldwide-who-have-positively-changed-history/">Frida Kahlo</a> and author <a href="https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/whaling-biography-herman-melville/">Herman Melville</a> were all harshly criticized, dismissed or persecuted by their contemporaries.</p>
<p>To create something truly original, an artist must often break from the status quo. </p>
<p>So it’s only natural that any creative endeavor will lead to fear of criticism, rejection or failure. The road less traveled might be more dangerous. It might even be fruitless. And sometimes the cost is one’s life: <a href="http://www.pbs.org/empires/thegreeks/keyevents/399.html">Socrates was executed</a> on charges that his probing questions were corrupting young people, while Italian philosopher Giordano Bruno <a href="https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/was-giordano-bruno-burned-at-the-stake-for-believing-in-exoplanets/">was burned to death, in part, for his heretical claims</a> that the Earth was not the center of the universe.</p>
<h2>When anxiety inspires</h2>
<p>This is not to say that being cool as a cucumber is a requisite for great art. Some level of anxiety can serve a purpose. </p>
<p>While being truly terrified can paralyze you, being bored and feeling languid <a href="https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/978-3-319-01384-8_288#:%7E:text=Optimal%20arousal%20is%20a%20psychological,and%20the%20intensity%20of%20readiness.">can grind your motivation to a halt</a>.</p>
<p>There’s a sweet spot of anxiety that actually harnesses motivation and cognition and directs all attention to the task at hand.</p>
<p>With the deadline for “Afraid” fast approaching, I felt a pang of anxiety that propelled me to the finish line: I decided to tuck myself away in a resort next to the mountains in Tucson for two weeks and work 12-hour days to wrap up the book. The anxiety of not meeting the deadline was enough to inspire me to buckle down and get the job done. </p>
<p>Then there’s the specter of death. </p>
<p>No one is spared. Yet, even as geniuses like Michelangelo and Charles Dickens met the same fate as their peers, their brushstrokes and words became eternal.</p>
<p>Creative work is a way to achieve a certain level of immortality – art and books and articles that live on past your expiration date. </p>
<p>American anthropologist Ernest Becker argued that fear of death <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167213490804">motivated humans to compose</a> stories, myth and legends about the afterlife and immortality, and it inspired great works of architecture like the Egyptian pyramids.</p>
<p>This existential dread <a href="https://theconversation.com/i-want-to-stare-death-in-the-eye-why-dying-inspires-so-many-writers-and-artists-128061">has also motivated authors and artists</a> to seek a form of immortality through their work. I find it somewhat comforting that after I am dead, some of my scientific discoveries and writings might continue to live through others. </p>
<p>In fact, you might be reading this piece long after I am gone.</p>
<h2>What you can and can’t control</h2>
<p>Creative work entails traversing a mental landscape that can be treacherous, whether you’re mining your imagination, plotting your next steps or plumbing your memories. Failure always looms. </p>
<p>This uncertainty can elicit fear and doubt. </p>
<p>Interestingly, fear is solely focused on survival, while creativity operates at its best <a href="https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html">when basic survival needs are met</a>. Furthermore, fear is a primitive emotion, whereas art, science and culture are among humankind’s most evolved abilities. </p>
<p>But fear and creativity are also similar in that both possess automatic and intuitive processes. The best works of art are not the sole result of logical thinking. Like a fetus, art grows inside the artist autonomously while the artist keeps feeding it; when the time comes, delivery happens. Fear is also mostly autonomous: When you notice a car barreling toward you, you leap out of the road before thinking about the driver’s intentions. </p>
<p>In that sense, people don’t fully control their fear and creativity. For both to work productively, a balanced harmony needs to exist between the unconscious and the conscious mind.</p>
<h2>Cultivating your creativity</h2>
<p>Still, there are elements of your consciousness that you can influence.</p>
<p>If you want to create something but feel inhibited by <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-5-000-year-history-of-writers-block-190037">writer’s block</a>, hesitancy or insecurity, think about which kind of fear might be holding you back.</p>
<p>Is it fear of failure or judgment? Fear of your own inner critic? Or is there a different day-to-day challenge or responsibility that’s soaking up most of your attention?</p>
<p>Once you’ve identified the source of the anxiety, see if you can reframe the fear in an objective way that liberates you from its shackles. Maybe you can recognize failure as a possibility but ultimately something that won’t kill you: You can always just try again.</p>
<p>Another option is to engage your brain’s <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8992377/#:%7E:text=The%20mesolimbic%20system%2C%20also%20known,and%20cognitive%20processing%20of%20reward.">reward circuitry</a> – say, thinking of the possible positive outcomes of your work, including immortality. Or you could use the fear network to your advantage, remembering a deadline, a promotion that might hinge on the work or the crummy feeling of not completing a task. Breaking the work into pieces will also make it seem more doable and less scary. </p>
<p>Sometimes, shaking things up with a change of scenery can help. When I went away to finish “Afraid,” I chose the desert not only because I find the landscape inspiring. There’s also something about the starkly different and empty geography that clears my head from all of the clutter of daily life back in Michigan.</p>
<p>Just as there are many paths to take as you pursue a creative endeavor, there are a range of strategies to combat or use all of the little fears that crop up along the way.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/211017/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Arash Javanbakht does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A psychiatrist explains the many ways anxiety can hinder, color or compel creativity.Arash Javanbakht, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Wayne State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2087272023-08-30T12:15:21Z2023-08-30T12:15:21ZWorkers like it when their employers talk about diversity and inclusion<p><a href="https://www.raconteur.net/responsible-business/george-floyd-death-racial-equality/">Many companies have made commitments toward</a> diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in recent years, particularly since the murder of <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/george-floyd-87675">George Floyd sparked</a> weeks of racial justice riots in 2020. </p>
<p>But some of those efforts, such as <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/diversity-roles-disappear-three-years-george-floyd-protests-inspired-rcna72026">hiring diversity leaders</a> and <a href="https://news.bloomberglaw.com/esg/host-of-companies-sued-alleging-unmet-diversity-equity-pledges">creating policies to address racial inequality</a>, <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/corporate-america-slashing-dei-workers-amid-backlash-diversity/story?id=100477952">have stalled or reversed</a> at the same time as a growing <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/willskipworth/2023/07/21/texas-am-president-resigns-after-conservative-pushback-against-journalism-professor-and-dei/">conservative backlash</a> is threatening to further undermine such initiatives. </p>
<p>Most recently, a June 2023 Supreme Court ruling tossing out affirmative action policies at several universities <a href="https://hbr.org/2023/07/what-scotuss-affirmative-action-decision-means-for-corporate-dei">has prompted businesses and advocates to worry</a> that similar corporate efforts to improve the diversity of their workforces may be next. </p>
<p>That would be bad news for companies, because research has shown that diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives improve <a href="https://www.doi.org/10.1177/0146167210367786">creativity</a>, <a href="https://hbr.org/2013/12/how-diversity-can-drive-innovation">innovation</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S2212-5671(14)00178-6">productivity</a> and <a href="https://www.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0270813">organizational performance</a>.</p>
<p>What’s more, a majority of workers <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2023/05/17/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-workplace/">say they want their employers</a> to do DEI. <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=697eQncAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">My own research</a> in corporate communications suggests how employees communicate their efforts is just as important as having them.</p>
<h2>DEI and the workplace</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-explainers/what-is-diversity-equity-and-inclusion">Diversity, equity and inclusion</a> are three related values that companies and other organizations use to guide their efforts to create workplaces that are welcoming to people from all walks of life. These values emphasize the respect of individual differences and fair treatment of all people, regardless of race, gender, age, sexual orientation or other factors.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/behavioral-competencies/global-and-cultural-effectiveness/pages/12-ways-companies-are-boosting-their-dei.aspx">implementation of DEI measures</a> varies across organizations, with strategies ranging from policies that ensure the fair treatment of workers of color to training and the establishment of <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/effective-employee-resource-groups-are-key-to-inclusion-at-work-heres-how-to-get-them-right">employee resource groups</a>, which are internal communities built around workers’ shared identities or interests. Examples include networks for women, people of color or veterans. </p>
<p>While strategies may vary, DEI is in wide use across corporate America. <a href="https://www.hrdive.com/news/2022-fortune-companies-dei/627651/#:%7E:text=As%20of%20at%20least%20July,to%20diversity%2C%20equity%20and%20inclusion">Every Fortune 100 company</a> listed some kind of DEI initiative on its website as of July 2022, and a <a href="https://www.hrpolicy.org/insight-and-research/resources/2021/hrpa/12/press-release/">2021 survey</a> found that 82% of chief human resource officers said DEI was their foremost concern. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="a woman holding a sign protests outside of the Supreme Court building amid several other affirmative action-related signs" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/545112/original/file-20230828-26-uerino.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/545112/original/file-20230828-26-uerino.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/545112/original/file-20230828-26-uerino.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/545112/original/file-20230828-26-uerino.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/545112/original/file-20230828-26-uerino.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/545112/original/file-20230828-26-uerino.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/545112/original/file-20230828-26-uerino.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Some believe corporate diversity programs will be targeted next after the Supreme Court in June 2023 ended affirmative action in college admissions.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/SupremeCourtAffirmativeAction/30fcf455c5844ff5be44c519266cd4d2/photo?Query=affirmative%20action%20supreme%20court&mediaType=photo&sortBy=&dateRange=Anytime&totalCount=31&currentItemNo=1&vs=true">AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Broad benefits of DEI</h2>
<p>Numerous studies on diversity, equity and inclusion policies have found them to have many positive impacts on corporate performance. </p>
<p>Consulting company McKinsey in May 2020 reviewed data on over 1,000 companies in 15 countries and found that the “<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/%7E/media/McKinsey/Featured%20Insights/Diversity%20and%20Inclusion/Diversity%20wins%20How%20inclusion%20matters/Diversity-wins-How-inclusion-matters-vF.pdf">business case for inclusion and diversity is stronger than ever</a>.” </p>
<p>Its analysis showed that in 2019 companies in the top quartile in terms of ethnic and cultural diversity were 36% more likely to report above-average profits than those at the bottom, slightly better than in 2014. And companies with the most gender diversity among executives were 25% more likely to outperform the market, up from 15% in 2014. </p>
<p>A 2019 study that analyzed workforce diversity in the U.S. federal government found that racial diversity <a href="https://www.doi.org/10.1177/0091026019848458">is significantly and positively related</a> to organizational performance.</p>
<p>One of the reasons DEI initiatives have a positive impact is because workers appreciate them. For example, a survey conducted in early 2023 found that most employees – 56% – <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2023/05/17/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-workplace/">think it’s a good thing</a> if their company is focused on DEI.</p>
<h2>Talking up DEI</h2>
<p>But my own work suggests that getting many of these benefits from DEI initiatives may depend on how well employers are communicating their efforts to workers. In 2021, colleagues Sunny Qin, Renee Mitson, Patrick Thelen and I <a href="https://www.doi.org/10.1080/1062726X.2023.2222859">conducted an online survey</a> with 657 full-time employees across 27 industries in the U.S. We published the findings in June 2023. </p>
<p>We asked respondents how well they thought their employers communicated around the topic of diversity, including efforts to promote a diverse workforce. We also assessed participants’ engagement in their companies as well as the employees’ <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1740-8784.2007.00082.x">cultural intelligence</a>, or the ability to interact and adapt across cultures. We then used a statistical technique called <a href="https://www.statisticssolutions.com/free-resources/directory-of-statistical-analyses/structural-equation-modeling/">structural equation modeling analysis</a> to spot relationships between all their answers. </p>
<p>We found that the employees who worked for companies that talked more about their commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment were also more engaged in their work. This was also correlated with higher levels of cultural intelligence, and together they contributed to a more inclusive work environment. </p>
<p>Importantly, we found that this effect was strongest for racial minorities, whose level of engagement was more highly correlated with how well their employer created an inclusive climate than for white people in our survey. </p>
<h2>Valued and included</h2>
<p>Overall, our study supports the notion that employees still value and appreciate their companies’ focus on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. </p>
<p>And as we found, a more diverse and inclusive work environment leads to a more engaged workforce when companies continually communicate about their stance, values and commitment to DEI. Such communications signal to employees that their employers hear their voices and stand with them. </p>
<p>Having a diverse and inclusive workplace isn’t just about checking off boxes. It’s about making sure everyone feels valued and included.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/208727/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rita Men does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Policies that foster diversity, equity and inclusion have been shown to have many positive operational impacts − including leading to more worker engagement.Rita Men, Professor of Public Relations and Director of Internal Communication Research, University of FloridaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2115982023-08-25T12:27:58Z2023-08-25T12:27:58ZAI scores in the top percentile of creative thinking<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/544631/original/file-20230824-19-dofq41.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C6%2C4071%2C2986&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Creativity involves generating something new -- a product or solution that didn't previously exist.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/red-apple-on-a-background-of-green-apples-royalty-free-image/536687143?phrase=repeated+objects+with+one+unique+object&adppopup=true">Maestria_diz/iStock via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Of all the forms of human intellect that one might expect artificial intelligence to emulate, few people would likely place creativity at the top of their list. Creativity is wonderfully mysterious – and frustratingly fleeting. It defines us as human beings – and seemingly defies the cold logic that lies behind the silicon curtain of machines. </p>
<p>Yet, the use of AI for creative endeavors is now growing. </p>
<p>New AI tools like DALL-E and Midjourney are increasingly part of creative production, and some have started <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/02/technology/ai-artificial-intelligence-artists.html">to win awards for their creative output</a>. The growing impact is both social and economic – as just one example, the potential of AI to generate new, creative content is a defining flashpoint behind the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-are-hollywood-actors-and-writers-afraid-of-a-cinema-scholar-explains-how-ai-is-upending-the-movie-and-tv-business-210360">Hollywood writers strike</a>.</p>
<p>And if our recent study into the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yjoc.2023.100065">striking originality of AI</a> is any indication, the emergence of AI-based creativity – along with examples of both its promise and peril – is likely just beginning. </p>
<h2>A blend of novelty and utiliy</h2>
<p>When people are at their most creative, they’re responding to a need, goal or problem by generating something new – a product or solution that didn’t previously exist. </p>
<p>In this sense, creativity is an act of combining existing resources – ideas, materials, knowledge – in a novel way that’s useful or gratifying. Quite often, the result of creative thinking is also surprising, leading to something that the creator did not – and perhaps could not – foresee. </p>
<p>It might involve an invention, an unexpected punchline to a joke or a groundbreaking theory in physics. It might be a unique arrangement of notes, tempo, sounds and lyrics that results in a new song. </p>
<p>So, as a researcher of creative thinking, I immediately noticed something interesting about the content generated by the latest versions of AI, including GPT-4. </p>
<p>When prompted with tasks requiring creative thinking, the novelty and usefulness of GPT-4’s output reminded me of the creative types of ideas submitted by students and colleagues I had worked with as a teacher and entrepreneur. </p>
<p>The ideas were different and surprising, yet relevant and useful. And, when required, quite imaginative. </p>
<p>Consider the following prompt offered to GPT-4: “Suppose all children became giants for one day out of the week. What would happen?” The ideas generated by GPT-4 touched on culture, economics, psychology, politics, interpersonal communication, transportation, recreation and much more – many surprising and unique in terms of the novel connections generated. </p>
<p>This combination of novelty and utility is difficult to pull off, as most scientists, artists, writers, musicians, poets, chefs, founders, engineers and academics can attest. </p>
<p>Yet AI seemed to be doing it – and doing it well.</p>
<h2>Putting AI to the test</h2>
<p>With researchers in creativity and entrepreneurship <a href="https://www.vm.vu.lt/apie/destytojai/2-uncategorised/637-christian-byrge">Christian Byrge</a> and <a href="https://www.umwestern.edu/directory/christian-gilde/">Christian Gilde</a>, I decided to put AI’s creative abilities to the test by having it take the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/psychology/torrance-test">or TTCT</a>. </p>
<p>The TTCT prompts the test-taker to engage in <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-unlock-your-creativity-even-if-you-see-yourself-as-a-conventional-thinker-196198">the kinds of creativity required for real-life tasks</a>: asking questions, how to be more resourceful or efficient, guessing cause and effect or improving a product. It might ask a test-taker to suggest ways to improve a children’s toy or imagine the consequences of a hypothetical situation, as the above example demonstrates.</p>
<p>The tests are not designed to measure <a href="https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2014.0099">historical creativity</a>, which is what some researchers use to describe the transformative brilliance of figures like Mozart and Einstein. Rather, it assesses the general creative abilities of individuals, often referred to as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2014.0099">psychological or personal creativity</a>. </p>
<p>In addition to running the TTCT through GPT-4 eight times, we also administered the test to 24 of our undergraduate students. </p>
<p>All of the results were evaluated by trained reviewers at Scholastic Testing Service, a private testing company that provides scoring for the TTCT. They didn’t know in advance that some of the tests they’d be scoring had been completed by AI. </p>
<p>Since Scholastic Testing Service is a private company, it does not share its prompts with the public. This ensured that GPT-4 would not have been able to scrape the internet for past prompts and their responses. In addition, the company has a database of thousands of tests completed by college students and adults, providing a large, additional control group with which to compare AI scores.</p>
<p>Our results? </p>
<p>GPT-4 scored in the top 1% of test-takers for the originality of its ideas. From our research, we believe this marks one of the first examples of AI meeting or exceeding the human ability for original thinking. </p>
<p>In short, we believe that AI models like GPT-4 are capable of producing ideas that people see as unexpected, novel and unique. Other researchers are arriving at similar conclusions in <a href="https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2303.12003">their research of AI and creativity</a>. </p>
<h2>Yes, creativity can be evaluated</h2>
<p>The emerging creative ability of AI is surprising for a number of reasons. </p>
<p>For one, many outside of the research community continue to believe that creativity <a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/yoel_tawil_why_creativity_has_no_definition">cannot be defined</a>, let alone scored. Yet products of human novelty and ingenuity have been prized – and bought and sold – for thousands of years. And creative work has been defined and scored in fields like psychology since at least the 1950s. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.idsa.org/education-paper/exchanging-the-4ps-of-creativity/">The person, product, process, press model of creativity</a>, which researcher Mel Rhodes introduced in 1961, was an attempt to categorize the myriad ways in which creativity had been understood and evaluated until that point. Since then, the understanding of creativity has only grown. </p>
<p>Still others are surprised that the term “creativity” might be applied to nonhuman entities like computers. On this point, we tend to agree with cognitive scientist Margaret Boden, who has argued that the question of whether the term creativity should be applied to AI is a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1609/aimag.v30i3.2254">philosophical rather than scientific question</a>. </p>
<h2>AI’s founders foresaw its creative abilities</h2>
<p>It’s worth noting that we studied only the output of AI in our research. We didn’t study <a href="https://theconversation.com/chatgpt-dall-e-2-and-the-collapse-of-the-creative-process-196461">its creative process</a>, which is likely very different from human thinking processes, or the environment in which the ideas were generated. And had we defined creativity as requiring a human person, then we would have had to conclude, by definition, that AI cannot possibly be creative. </p>
<p>But regardless of the debate over definitions of creativity and the creative process, the products generated by the latest versions of AI are novel and useful. We believe this satisfies the definition of creativity that is now dominant in the fields of psychology and science.</p>
<p>Furthermore, the creative abilities of AI’s current iterations are not entirely unexpected. </p>
<p>In their now famous proposal for the <a href="https://home.dartmouth.edu/about/artificial-intelligence-ai-coined-dartmouth">1956 Dartmouth Summer Research Project on Artificial Intelligence</a>, the founders of AI highlighted their desire to simulate “every aspect of learning or any other feature of intelligence” – including creativity.</p>
<p>In this same proposal, computer scientist Nathaniel Rochester <a href="http://www-formal.stanford.edu/jmc/history/dartmouth/dartmouth.html">revealed his motivation</a>: “How can I make a machine which will exhibit originality in its solution of problems?” </p>
<p>Apparently, AI’s founders believed that creativity, including the originality of ideas, was among the specific forms of human intelligence that machines could emulate.</p>
<p>To me, the surprising creativity scores of GPT-4 and other AI models highlight a more pressing concern: Within U.S. schools, very few official programs and curricula have been implemented to date that specifically target human creativity and <a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/sir_ken_robinson_do_schools_kill_creativity?language=en">cultivate its development</a>. </p>
<p>In this sense, the creative abilities now realized by AI may provide a “<a href="https://www.space.com/10437-sputnik-moment.html">Sputnik moment</a>” for educators and others interested in furthering human creative abilities, including those who see creativity as an essential condition of individual, social and economic growth.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/211598/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Erik Guzik does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Researchers had college students and AI take a standardized test in creative thinking, and all of them were scored by trained evaluators who didn’t know in advance that some had been completed by AI.Erik Guzik, Assistant Clinical Professor of Management, University of MontanaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2086502023-07-21T12:27:32Z2023-07-21T12:27:32ZBluey teaches children and parents alike about how play supports creativity – and other life lessons<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536621/original/file-20230710-16123-hbig7c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The playful Heeler family has amassed fans of all ages.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://bbcw.box.com/s/ji22tfwxhdjokpvkmqj1w8eefn8ucmdc">Ian Kitt/BBC Studios</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://mashable.com/article/bluey-kids-show-for-adults">Adults and kids</a> love <a href="https://www.bluey.tv/">Bluey</a>. This Australian animated show – hugely <a href="https://www.newidea.com.au/bluey-streaming">popular in the U.S.</a> as well – focuses on a family of blue heeler dogs living in Brisbane. The seven-minute episodes feature 6-year-old Bluey; her 4-year-old sister, Bingo; her mom, Chilli; and her dad, Bandit. They depict the beauty of childhood and portray the realities of being a parent in our current age. </p>
<p>As <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=0TfM-kYAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">developmental scientists</a> <a href="https://sdlab.fas.harvard.edu/people/aria-gast%C3%B3n-panthaki">who study children</a> and <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=beCz8i0AAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">how they interact with the world</a>, we sort of adore Bluey too. </p>
<p>The show exemplifies what years of child psychology research have made clear: that <a href="https://www.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.16823.01447">children learn through play</a>. Bluey illustrates a variety of age-appropriate caregiving practices that parents and caregivers can use in the everyday life of a child. Below we highlight five lessons depicted in select episodes and explain how certain scenes can provide inspiration for playful learning opportunities for all families.</p>
<h2>1. Support children’s creativity</h2>
<p>In the “<a href="https://www.bluey.tv/watch/season-3/rain/">Rain</a>” episode, Chilli and Bluey get caught in a downpour. While Mom runs inside, Bluey is thrilled to be out in the rain and begins to build a dam against the water on a walkway. When her hands can’t contain the water, she tries a variety of household objects – blocks, an umbrella, a dollhouse – to do the job. Importantly, Bluey does not give up and continues to find creative solutions to reach her goal. </p>
<p>Researchers and leaders in a variety of industries point to <a href="https://learningthroughplay.com/explore-the-research/why-creativity-matters-and-how-we-can-nurture-it">creative innovation</a> as a top skill that children will need to be successful in <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/articles/a-new-path-to-education-reform-playful-learning-promotes-21st-century-skills-in-schools-and-beyond/">tackling the upcoming challenges</a> of the 21st century. </p>
<p>Instead of stopping Bluey, Chilli recognizes how driven her daughter is to meet her goal, so she braves the rain and helps her to successfully build the dam. Chilli represents how <a href="https://www.pbs.org/parents/thrive/creative-play-the-real-work-of-childhood">caregivers can foster children’s creativity</a> by asking open-ended questions and allowing children to explore various ways of solving a problem. </p>
<h2>2. Use everyday materials for play</h2>
<p>In “<a href="https://www.bluey.tv/watch/season-2/flatpack/">Flatpack</a>,” after returning from the ready-to-assemble furniture store, Chilli and Bandit toss extra packaging from their new porch swing into the backyard. Bluey and Bingo use these items to construct a fantasy world. The girls let their imaginations take them on a journey from swimming like fish in a foam pond to hopping like frogs on a cardboard island.</p>
<p>Play experts use the term “<a href="https://extension.psu.edu/programs/betterkidcare/early-care/tip-pages/all/loose-parts-what-does-this-mean">loose parts</a>” for items without a defined play purpose that can be used in many ways and encourage children’s creativity. This episode shows Bluey and Bingo engaged in <a href="https://learningthroughplay.com/explore-the-research/engaging-young-children-in-play">free play</a> with such objects and portrays how deeply children can play even if they don’t have conventional toys or guidance from a caregiver.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MmuDI7lbJpk?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Bluey’s seven-minute episodes often center on the importance of play.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>3. Help kids process emotions through play</h2>
<p>Play is a natural way that children <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195304381.001.0001">emotionally process</a> a variety of difficult experiences. Childhood experts emphasize that <a href="https://howtoddlersthrive.com/book/">pretend play gives children the freedom</a> to work through their fears and feelings. </p>
<p>In “<a href="https://www.bluey.tv/watch/season-1/copycat/">Copycat</a>,” Bluey and Bandit find an injured parakeet on a morning walk and take it to the vet. We then see Bluey engaged in a play scene in which she casts Bingo in the role of the parakeet and reenacts the morning. When Chilli, playing the vet, tells Bluey that Bingo is all better, Bluey protests: “No, you have to pretend it’s bad news, that the [parakeet] is dead.” Chilli seems wary to proceed but, importantly, follows her daughter’s lead in the play. </p>
<p>Similarly, in the episode “<a href="https://www.bluey.tv/watch/season-1/early-baby/">Early Baby</a>,” Bluey’s friend Indy uses play to work through a difficult life experience: having a younger sibling in a neonatal intensive care unit. In their classroom, Indy and her friends play “early baby” where they have to wash their hands before holding the baby doll and keep her in “a fish tank with holes in it” – an incubator. </p>
<h2>4. Promote multigenerational relationships</h2>
<p>These episodes explore the relationship between the girls and their grandparents. In “<a href="https://www.bluey.tv/watch/season-1/grannies/">Grannies</a>,” Bluey and Bingo are dressed up as grannies in search of a can of beans. After raiding the cabinets, Bluey scolds a dancing Bingo because “grannies can’t floss!” The girls argue and settle the debate by video chatting with Nana, learning she indeed cannot do the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Kj3wWKjMSQ">popular dance</a>. When Bingo gets upset, Bluey helps Nana learn to floss by guiding her through the dance moves over video chat. </p>
<p>In “<a href="https://www.bluey.tv/watch/season-3/phones/">Phones</a>,” the girls teach Grandad about growing up in a digital world by creating fake smartphones with cardboard and crayons. They show Grandad how to navigate various apps to order food. Armed with his own crayon and a stuffed crocodile, Grandad sneaks the croc into Bingo’s basket and creates a “Croc Catcher” app for the girls to call for his assistance.</p>
<p>Research shows that strong relationships <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnu056">between grandparents and children</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2016.11.010">benefit both generations</a>. Grandparents teach children about their family’s history while children bring grandparents up to speed with the modern world. A recent study of grandparents found that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/hbe2.268">video chat enables this bonding between generations</a>, and the “Phones” episode shows this when Nana learns how to fit herself in the video chat frame and do a new dance. While Grandad is initially baffled by using apps for everything, the girls help him navigate this modern convenience through play. </p>
<h2>5. Foster self-regulation</h2>
<p>The episode “<a href="https://www.bluey.tv/watch/season-1/wagon-ride/">Wagon Ride</a>” shows a common parenting scenario. Bandit encounters a friend in public and begins chatting with the friend, moving his attention away from Bluey. Bluey cannot wait any longer and interrupts her dad. Soon after, Bandit works with his daughter to establish a way she can control her impulse to interrupt him while also feeling acknowledged by her father: Whenever Bluey wants to get her dad’s attention, she can place her hand on his arm, and he’ll place his hand over hers to acknowledge that he knows she’s waiting. </p>
<p>Helping a child develop <a href="https://developingchild.harvard.edu/science/key-concepts/executive-function/">self-regulation skills</a> like the ability to wait patiently is important, as such skills predict many <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1019725108">positive lifelong outcomes</a>. Higher levels of self-regulation ability are often tied to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpsc.2018.06.011">better mental health</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00220671.2014.979913">academic performance</a>. Bandit exemplifies how caregivers can help build their child’s self-regulation ability by <a href="https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/activities-guide-enhancing-and-practicing-executive-function-skills-with-children-from-infancy-to-adolescence/">trying to make it fun</a>.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/208650/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The seven-minute episodes show characters dealing with difficult emotions like fear and grief through play.Molly Scott, Research Scientist in Playful Learning, Temple UniversityAria Gastón-Panthaki, Research Coordinator for Children's Development, Harvard UniversityDouglas Piper, Ph.D. Student in Psychology, Georgetown UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2074802023-06-23T12:28:05Z2023-06-23T12:28:05ZThe folly of making art with text-to-image generative AI<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533577/original/file-20230622-5172-et0jx.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=334%2C162%2C1369%2C838&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Obtaining a desired image can be a long exercise in trial and error.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://i0.wp.com/syncedreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/image-92.png?resize=1153%2C580&ssl=1">OpenAI</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Making art using artificial intelligence isn’t new. <a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/artificial-intelligence-art-history-2045520">It’s as old as AI itself</a>. </p>
<p>What’s new is that a wave of tools now let most people generate images by entering a text prompt. All you need to do is write “a landscape in the style of van Gogh” into a text box, and the AI can create a beautiful image as instructed. </p>
<p>The power of this technology lies in its capacity to use human language to control art generation. But do these systems accurately translate an artist’s vision? Can bringing language into art-making truly lead to artistic breakthroughs? </p>
<h2>Engineering outputs</h2>
<p>I’ve worked with generative AI <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=DxQiCiIAAAAJ&hl=en">as an artist and computer scientist</a> for years, and I would argue that this new type of tool constrains the creative process. </p>
<p>When you write a text prompt to generate an image with AI, there are infinite possibilities. If you’re a casual user, you might be happy with what AI generates for you. And startups and investors <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/10/08/generative-ai-silicon-valleys-next-trillion-dollar-companies.html">have poured billions</a> into this technology, seeing it as an easy way to generate graphics for articles, video game characters and advertisements.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Grid of many images of cartoon women in various costumes." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533578/original/file-20230622-19-fg7z51.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533578/original/file-20230622-19-fg7z51.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=285&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533578/original/file-20230622-19-fg7z51.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=285&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533578/original/file-20230622-19-fg7z51.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=285&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533578/original/file-20230622-19-fg7z51.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=358&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533578/original/file-20230622-19-fg7z51.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=358&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533578/original/file-20230622-19-fg7z51.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=358&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Generative AI is seen as a promising tool for coming up with video game characters.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/X-Y_plot_of_algorithmically-generated_AI_art_by_different_science-fiction_subgenres.png">Benlisquare/Wikimedia Commons</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In contrast, an artist might need to write an essaylike prompt to generate a high-quality image that reflects their vision – with the right composition, the right lighting and the correct shading. That long prompt is not necessarily descriptive of the image but typically uses lots of keywords to invoke the system of what’s in the artist’s mind. There’s a relatively new term for this: <a href="https://time.com/6272103/ai-prompt-engineer-job/">prompt engineering</a>.</p>
<p>Basically, the role of an artist using these tools is reduced to reverse-engineering the system to find the right keywords to compel the system to generate the desired output. It takes a lot of effort, and much trial and error, to find the right words.</p>
<h2>AI isn’t as intelligent as it seems</h2>
<p>To learn how to better control the outputs, it’s important to recognize that most of these systems <a href="https://theconversation.com/generative-ai-is-a-minefield-for-copyright-law-207473">are trained on images and captions from the internet</a>. </p>
<p>Think about what a typical image caption tells about an image. Captions are typically written to complement the visual experience in web browsing. </p>
<p>For example, the caption might describe the name of the photographer and the copyright holder. On some websites, like Flickr, a caption typically describes the type of camera and the lens used. On other sites, the caption describes the graphic engine and hardware used to render an image. </p>
<p>So to write a useful text prompt, users need to insert many nondescriptive keywords for the AI system to create a corresponding image.</p>
<p>Today’s AI systems are not as intelligent as they seem; they are essentially smart retrieval systems that have a huge memory and work by association.</p>
<h2>Artists frustrated by a lack of control</h2>
<p>Is this really the sort of tool that can help artists create great work? </p>
<p>At Playform AI, a generative AI art platform that I founded, we <a href="https://www.playform.io/editorial/survey">conducted a survey</a> to better understand artists’ experiences with generative AI. We collected responses from over 500 digital artists, traditional painters, photographers, illustrators and graphic designers who had used platforms such as DALL-E, Stable Diffusion and Midjourney, among others. </p>
<p>Only 46% of the respondents found such tools to be “very useful,” while 32% found them somewhat useful but couldn’t integrate them to their workflow. The rest of the users – 22% – didn’t find them useful at all. </p>
<p>The main limitation artists and designers highlighted was a lack of control. On a scale 0 to 10, with 10 being most control, respondents described their ability to control the outcome to be between 4 and 5. Half the respondents found the outputs interesting, but not of a high enough quality to be used in their practice. </p>
<p>When it came to beliefs about whether generative AI would influence their practice, 90% of the artists surveyed thought that it would; 46% believed that the effect would be a positive one, with 7% predicting that it would have a negative effect. And 37% thought their practice would be affected but weren’t sure in what way. </p>
<h2>The best visual art transcends language</h2>
<p>Are these limitations fundamental, or will they just go away as the technology improves? </p>
<p>Of course, newer versions of generative AI will give users more control over outputs, along with higher resolutions and better image quality. </p>
<p>But to me, the main limitation, as far as art is concerned, is foundational: it’s the process of using language as the main driver in generating the image. </p>
<p>Visual artists, by definition, are <a href="https://psmag.com/news/the-thinking-process-of-the-visual-artist">visual thinkers</a>. When they imagine their work, they usually draw from visual references, not words – a memory, a collection of photographs or other art they’ve encountered. </p>
<p>When language is in the driver’s seat of image generation, I see an extra barrier between the artist and the digital canvas. Pixels will be rendered only through the lens of language. Artists lose the freedom of manipulating pixels outside the boundaries of semantics.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533559/original/file-20230622-5432-utxd4p.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Grid of different cartoon images of an animal with wings." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533559/original/file-20230622-5432-utxd4p.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533559/original/file-20230622-5432-utxd4p.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=721&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533559/original/file-20230622-5432-utxd4p.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=721&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533559/original/file-20230622-5432-utxd4p.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=721&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533559/original/file-20230622-5432-utxd4p.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=906&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533559/original/file-20230622-5432-utxd4p.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=906&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533559/original/file-20230622-5432-utxd4p.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=906&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The same input can lead to a range of random outputs.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a3/DALL-E_sample.png">OpenAI/Wikimedia Commons</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>There’s another fundamental limitation in text-to-image technology.</p>
<p>If two artists enter the exact same prompt, it’s very unlikely that the system will generate the same image. That’s not due to anything the artist did; the different outcomes are simply due the AI’s <a href="https://lilianweng.github.io/posts/2021-07-11-diffusion-models/">starting from different random initial images</a>. </p>
<p>In other words, the artist’s output is boiled down to chance.</p>
<p>Nearly two-thirds of the artists we surveyed had concerns that their AI generations might be similar to other artists’ works and that the technology does not reflect their identity – or even replaces it altogether.</p>
<p>The issue of artist identity is crucial when it comes to making and recognizing art. In the 19th century, when photography started to become popular, there was <a href="https://theconversation.com/generative-ai-is-a-minefield-for-copyright-law-207473">a debate about whether photography was a form of art</a>. It came down to a court case in France in 1861 to decide whether photography could be copyrighted as an art form. The decision hinged on whether an artist’s unique identity could be expressed through photographs. </p>
<p>Those same questions emerge when considering AI systems that are taught with the internet’s existing images. </p>
<p>Before the emergence of text-to-image prompting, <a href="https://theconversation.com/when-the-line-between-machine-and-artist-becomes-blurred-103149">creating art with AI was a more elaborate process</a>: Artists usually trained their own AI models based on their own images. That allowed them to use their own work as visual references and retain more control over the outputs, which better reflected their unique style.</p>
<p>Text-to-image tools might be useful for certain creators and casual everyday users who want to create graphics for a work presentation or a social media post. </p>
<p>But when it comes to art, I can’t see how text-to-image software can adequately reflect the artist’s true intentions or capture the beauty and emotional resonance or works that grip viewers and makes them see the world anew.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/207480/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The author is the founder of Playform AI</span></em></p>Visual artists draw from visual references, not words, as they imagine their work. So when language is in the driver’s seat of making art, it erects a barrier between the artist and the canvas.Ahmed Elgammal, Professor of Computer Science and Director of the Art & AI Lab, Rutgers UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2044372023-05-31T14:06:19Z2023-05-31T14:06:19ZAI can replicate human creativity in two key ways – but falls apart when asked to produce something truly new<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/529045/original/file-20230530-29-pk0w64.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=7%2C4%2C1010%2C1018&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The 'Portrait of Edmond de Bellamy' was produced by a generative adversarial network that was fed a data set of 15,000 portraits spanning six centuries. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://picryl.com/media/edmond-de-belamy-5c44d6">Christies/Picril</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Is computational creativity possible? The recent hype around generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT, Midjourney, Dall-E and many others, raises new questions about whether creativity is a uniquely human skill. Some recent and remarkable milestones of generative AI foster this question:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>An AI artwork, <em><a href="https://www.christies.com/features/A-collaboration-between-two-artists-one-human-one-a-machine-9332-1.aspx">The Portrait of Edmond de Belamy</a></em>, sold for $432,500, nearly 45 times its high estimate, by the auction house Christie’s in 2018. The artwork was created by a generative adversarial network that was fed a data set of 15,000 portraits covering six centuries.</p></li>
<li><p>Music producers such as Grammy-nominee <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2017/01/30/grammy-nominee-alex-da-kid-creates-hit-record-using-machine-learning/?sh=e573c462cf9a">Alex Da Kid</a>, have collaborated with AI (in this case IBM’s Watson) to churn out hits and inform their creative process.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>In the cases above, a human is still at the helm, curating the AI’s output according to their own vision and thereby retaining the authorship of the piece. Yet, AI image generator Dall-E, for example, can produce novel output on any theme you wish within seconds. Through diffusion, whereby huge datasets are scraped together to train the AI, generative AI tools can now transpose written phrases into novel pictures or improvise music in the style of any composer, devising new content that resembles the training data but isn’t identical. Authorship in this case is perhaps more complex. Is it the algorithm? The thousands of artists whose work has been scraped to produce the image? The prompter who successfully describes the style, reference, subject matter, lighting, point of view and even emotion evoked? To answer these questions, we must return to an age-old question.</p>
<h2>What is creativity?</h2>
<p>According to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0004-3702(98)00055-1">Margaret Boden</a>, there are three types of creativity: combinational, exploratory, and transformational creativity. Combinational creativity combines familiar ideas together. Exploratory creativity generates new ideas by exploring ‘structured conceptual spaces,’ that is, tweaking an accepted style of thinking by exploring its contents, boundaries and potential. Both of these types of creativity are not a million miles from generative AI’s algorithmic production of art; creating novel works in the same style as millions of others in the training data, a ‘synthetic creativity.’ Transformational creativity, however, means generating ideas beyond existing structures and styles to create something entirely original; this is at the heart of current debates around AI in terms of fair use and copyright – very much unchartered legal waters, so we will have to wait and see what the courts decide.</p>
<p>The key characteristic of AI’s creative processes is that the current computational creativity is systematic, not impulsive, as its human counterpart can often be. It is programmed to process information in a certain way to achieve particular results predictably, albeit in often unexpected ways. In fact, this is perhaps the most significant difference between artists and AI: while <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/0267257X.2014.997272">artists are self- and product-driven</a>, AI is very much consumer-centric and market-driven – we only get the art we ask for, which is not perhaps, what we need.</p>
<p>So far, generative AI seems to work best with human partners and, perhaps then, the synthetic creativity of the AI is a catalyst to push our human creativity, augmenting human creativity rather than producing it. As is often the case, the hype around these tools as disruptive forces outstrips the reality. In fact, art history shows us that technology has rarely directly displaced humans from work they wanted to do. Think of the camera, for example, which was feared due to its power to put portrait painters out of business. What are the business implications for the use of synthetic creativity by AI, then?</p>
<h2>Synthetic art for business</h2>
<p>Synthetic creativity on demand, as currently generated by AI, is certainly a boon to business and marketing. Recent examples include:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>AI-enhanced advertising: <a href="https://www.adsoftheworld.com/campaigns/it-s-so-pleasurable-to-take-the-time">Ogilvy Paris used Dall-E to create an AI version of Vermeer’s <em>The Milkmaid</em> for Nestle yoghurts</a>.</p></li>
<li><p>AI-designed furniture: <a href="https://thenextweb.com/news/ai-rejects-conservative-human-views-on-furniture-designs-wacky-chair">Kartell, Philippe Starck and Autodesk collaborated with AI to create the first chair designed using AI</a> for sustainable manufacturing.</p></li>
<li><p>AI-augmented fashion styling: <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2022/08/09/businesses-including-stitch-fix-are-already-experimenting-with-dall-e-2/">Stitch Fix utilised AI</a> to capture personalised visualisations of clothing based on requested customer preferences such as colour, fabric and style.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>The potential use scenarios are endless and what they require is another form of creativity: curation. AI has been known to <a href="https://www.entrepreneur.com/business-news/google-exec-warns-of-ai-chatbot-hallucinations/444842">‘hallucinate’</a> – an industry term for spewing nonsense – and the decidedly human skill required is in sense-making, that is expressing concepts, ideas and truths, rather than just something that is pleasing to the senses. <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003021766-7/marketing-arts-age-curatorial-production-matthew-waters">Curation</a>] is therefore needed to select and frame, or reframe, a unified and compelling vision.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/204437/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Les auteurs ne travaillent pas, ne conseillent pas, ne possèdent pas de parts, ne reçoivent pas de fonds d'une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n'ont déclaré aucune autre affiliation que leur organisme de recherche.</span></em></p>AI is starting to make us doubt whether humans have a monopoly on creativity. Two scholars argue AI’s use scenarios may be endless but that they require another form of creativity: curation.Chloe Preece, Associate Professor in Marketing, ESCP Business SchoolHafize Çelik, PhD candidate in management, University of BathLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2038572023-05-25T08:54:02Z2023-05-25T08:54:02ZNot all interruptions are bad: how surprise breaks can unleash creativity at work<p>Interruptions are an inevitable part of working life. Some last a short time – a phone call, an urgent task, or a colleague stopping by for a chat. While these can take a brief toll on productivity, extended interruptions such as supply-chain issues, extreme weather or machinery breakdowns, can have a more significant impact. But what if there were a silver lining?</p>
<p>In <a href="https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/abs/10.1287/orsc.2023.1660">our research</a> at the Hamburg University of Technology, we were curious to explore how different types of disruptions can influence employees’ creative performance and how one can even harness them to boost innovation at work.</p>
<h2>Differentiating interruptions</h2>
<p><a href="https://journals.aom.org/doi/10.5465/annals.2017.0146">Not all interruptions are the same</a> and they can be broadly differentiated based on two characteristics: whether they allow for idle time or not, and whether they are unexpected or not. We can therefore distinguish three types of extended interruptions:</p>
<ul>
<li><p><em>Surprises</em> are unexpected interruptions that release idle time and allow employees’ minds to wander. A supply-chain disruption leading to a temporary halt in production might qualify as one, for example, or a power outage that requires a pause until electricity is restored. A critical software system going down could also be considered a surprise, as they prevent employees from completing their daily tasks.</p></li>
<li><p><em>Intrusions</em> are unexpected interruptions that do not come with idle time. They typically require employees to switch their attention to the new, pressing issue. These can negatively impact creativity, as employees’ focus is diverted away from their original tasks. Examples of intrusions include urgent client requests, where a high-priority client suddenly requires immediate assistance to resolve an issue with their order or service. Employees must pause their tasks and address the client’s concerns promptly. Another example is an emergency meeting in response to a sudden crisis.</p></li>
<li><p><em>Planned breaks</em> represent expected interruptions with idle time. They are scheduled and deliberate, allowing employees to step away from their work and focus on personal activities or goals and play a crucial role in employee well-being and work-life balance. Examples of planned breaks include vacations, public holidays or company-wide breaks.</p></li>
</ul>
<h2>The impact of different interruptions on creativity</h2>
<p>By examining the effects of these interruptions on employees’ performance, we can identify which ones have the potential to boost innovation and how organizations can best manage them.</p>
<p>Conducted at a manufacturer in the automotive industry, <a href="https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/abs/10.1287/orsc.2023.1660">our research</a> investigates the creative outputs of employees during various interruptions. We used natural experiments, exploiting events such as supply-chain shortages, extreme weather events, and school breaks to explore how different types of interruptions impact creative performance.</p>
<p>Our findings suggest that <em>surprises</em> with idle time can significantly increase employees’ creative performance, understood here as the number and quality of ideas they put forward to improve their firm’s products and services. We found that individuals exposed to such interruptions generated 58% more ideas than their uninterrupted peers in the three weeks following the disruption. This boost in creativity is attributed to continued thinking about work and maintaining work goals during the interruption, which enables idea incubation.</p>
<p>In contrast, <em>intrusions</em> harm creativity. When employees are forced to switch their attention to the incoming task, their attention residue – or the amount of attention that lingers on the interrupted task – drops, reducing their creative performance.</p>
<p>As for <em>planned breaks</em>, such as vacations or school holidays, we found that they do not positively affect creative performance. During these expected interruptions, employees tend to disengage from work and focus on non-work-related goals, which lowers attention residue and hinders idea incubation. This comes nevertheless with the important caveat that breaks remain essential for employee well-being and rejuvenation.</p>
<p>But why is it that some interruptions are conducive to creative performance while others are not? One answer may lie in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2009.04.002">attention residue theory</a>, which posits that some attention lingers on an interrupted task even after the individual has shifted focus elsewhere. This lingering attention can help ideas incubate and foster creative thinking. With extended interruptions, the amount of attention residue depends on whether the interruption allows for idle time and whether it is unexpected or not.</p>
<p>During surprises, employees have idle time to think about their work and keep their work goals active, which results in higher attention residue and increased creative performance. In contrast, during intrusions, attention residue is reduced as employees must focus on the incoming task. Similarly, during planned breaks, attention residue decreases as employees disengage from work and concentrate on non-work goals.</p>
<h2>The art of interruption: a rulebook</h2>
<p>The good news is that it is possible for organisations to stir up creativity by applying a series of guidelines:</p>
<ul>
<li><p><em>Surprises</em>: When unforeseen events free up time, organisations can encourage employees to use it to reflect on their work and generate new ideas. One way for management to go about this is provide tools and resources that encourage idle pondering, such as access to idea submission systems, brainstorming sessions after the interruption, or quiet spaces for contemplation.</p></li>
<li><p><em>Intrusions</em>: Management ought to establish clear priorities and minimize distractions during an intrusion to enable employees to concentrate on the task at hand. Before attending to an intrusion, <a href="https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/abs/10.1287/orsc.2017.1184">ready-to-resume plans</a> in which one notes where work has been left off help to resume the original task. Once the interruption ends, support re-engagement with original work by having people reflect how they will resume the original task or promoting collaboration and communication among colleagues.</p></li>
<li><p><em>Planned breaks</em>: Organizations should encourage employees to disconnect from work during vacations and other scheduled breaks to recharge and maintain a healthy work-life balance. Upon returning from a break, create opportunities for employees to share their experiences, insights, or inspirations, potentially sparking new ideas or fostering a creative mindset.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Extended interruptions are an unavoidable part of working life. However, by understanding their impact on creativity and implementing strategies to leverage their potential, one can transform these disruptions into rich opportunities. By embracing surprises, managing attention during intrusions, and encouraging deliberate disconnection during planned breaks, organizations can unleash the creative potential of their employees and foster a more innovative work environment.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/203857/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tim Schweisfurth has received funding from Tempowerk, Hamburg, Germany</span></em></p>Has your computer just crashed and you are waiting for it to reboot? If so, do not despair. In fact, recent research shows surprise interruptions might even boost your creativity.Tim Schweisfurth, Full Professor in Organizational Design and Collaboration Engineering, University of TwenteLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2058552023-05-22T11:56:08Z2023-05-22T11:56:08ZRust out: why boredom at work can be harmful and what employers can do about it<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/527190/original/file-20230519-15-n6lx7v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=74%2C82%2C4917%2C4146&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The rise of technology has left many people feeling bored.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/man-doing-boring-job-on-his-478787038">Minerva Studio/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>We all know that high levels of stress in the workplace can lead to <a href="https://theconversation.com/perfectionism-and-burn-out-are-close-friends-best-avoid-them-44727">burnout</a>. But less attention is given to long periods of intense boredom, sometimes referred to as “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/money/2008/jan/02/workandcareers.features">rust out</a>” or “<a href="https://www.worldcat.org/title/226308124">bore out</a>”. </p>
<p>This typically comes with feelings of weariness, distraction and a lack of motivation, alongside the perception of time slowing down. Despite this, <a href="https://business.udemy.com/resources/boredom-work-report/thanks/">it’s a problem</a> that many managers and organisations <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2370.2009.00267.x">ignore</a>.</p>
<p>If burnout is the result of overly high levels of demand at work, then rust out is caused by overly low levels of demand or stimulation. When employees are bored and disengaged at work for extended periods of time, they might experience frustration and lethargy, lower psychological wellbeing and reduced job satisfaction. </p>
<p>They may also feel unfocused, like they don’t have a set goal or task. This state is in direct opposition to “flow” – a sort of hyperfocus which occurs when one’s skills are perfectly challenged (so a task isn’t too easy or too hard). This is when it feels fulfilling to complete a task.</p>
<p>Boredom is associated with reduced productivity and creativity, and increased counterproductive work practices – including distraction, substance use and absenteeism – just like burnout. Clearly, this is bad for the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/1076-8998.10.2.83">individual</a> and <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/curtsteinhorst/2020/01/28/why-your-workforce-is-bored-out-of-their-minds/">workplace</a> alike. </p>
<p>Employees tend to become bored when their work is uninspiring and does not stretch their skills or abilities. Increasing levels of education means that the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2370.2009.00267.x">skills of employees now often exceed</a> the requirements of their jobs. And in precarious times, such as the current cost of living crisis, people are more likely to accept jobs they are overqualified for, further exacerbating the possibility for workplace boredom.</p>
<p>The increasing use of technology may have also induced a reduced sense of purpose or fulfilment. Industrialisation and the introduction of the computer has clearly had a legion of advantages. But on the flip side, we are now further removed from the physical creation of products, leading to feelings of alienation.</p>
<p>The COVID-19 pandemic has not helped either. During the lockdowns, and in the face of increased awareness of mortality, people used their time to examine what they really value in life. This in turn has led to a wave of <a href="https://theconversation.com/quiet-quitting-why-doing-less-at-work-could-be-good-for-you-and-your-employer-188617">quiet quitting</a>, in which employees only do the bare minimum of what’s required at work. </p>
<p>But quiet quitting can be counterproductive because it often boosts boredom and leaves people without a sense of purpose or motivation. </p>
<h2>Three pillars of workplace wellbeing</h2>
<p>In opposition to being bored, the state of flow fulfils three factors that <a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_the_puzzle_of_motivation?language=en">some researchers</a> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/6452796">suggest</a> are the most important to workplace wellbeing: autonomy, mastery and purpose. </p>
<p>Autonomy is the sense of control and freedom that employees feel when they have the power to make decisions about how they work and what they work on. Mastery is the sense of progress and growth that employees experience when they feel they are improving, developing new skills and conquering new challenges. </p>
<p>And purpose is the sense of meaning and impact that employees experience when they feel that their work is contributing to something larger than themselves and has a positive impact on the world. </p>
<p>What is common across these three factors is that they contribute to work feeling “right” – that is, providing sense of satisfaction, fulfilment or purpose.
When these three pillars are not met, this leads to a strong reduction in motivation, and ultimately <a href="https://theconversation.com/are-teachers-suffering-from-a-crisis-of-motivation-48637">disengagement from work</a>. </p>
<p>Another factor is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1006/ceps.1999.1020">motivation</a>, which can typically be divided into two types. Extrinsic motivation encourages you to do something because there is an external reward, whether monetary or even just praise. Intrinsic motivation helps you stay motivated to keep doing something simply because you want to – it brings you joy. </p>
<p>The absence of intrinsic motivation is what leads to boredom in particular. It is a state where even <a href="https://theconversation.com/performance-related-pay-wont-motivate-teachers-25775">extrinsic reward</a> generally cannot bring back focus and engagement.</p>
<h2>Contemporary solutions</h2>
<p>How might we fight workplace boredom? While there are <a href="https://theconversation.com/4-day-work-week-trials-have-been-labelled-a-resounding-success-but-4-big-questions-need-answers-201476">some considerations</a> that have to be addressed, a four day work week and general flexible working tick many of the boxes. </p>
<p>These give employees autonomy, provides them with time to devote to mastering new skills and seek out creative endeavours that give a sense of purpose. Together, this is a solid basis to support intrinsic motivation.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Shot of a group of colleagues giving each other a high five while using a computer together at work." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/527192/original/file-20230519-23-pctspw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/527192/original/file-20230519-23-pctspw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527192/original/file-20230519-23-pctspw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527192/original/file-20230519-23-pctspw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527192/original/file-20230519-23-pctspw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527192/original/file-20230519-23-pctspw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527192/original/file-20230519-23-pctspw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Flow and mastery can inspire.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/weve-done-again-shot-group-colleagues-2129743853">PeopleImages.com - Yuri A/Shuttestock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Happy workers are not just productive workers, however, they are also more creative. If a company suffers from large groups of bored employees, as <a href="https://business.udemy.com/resources/boredom-work-report/thanks/">some reports</a> have suggested, then it misses out on important innovations and consequent growth.</p>
<p>Organisations that prioritise <a href="https://online.stanford.edu/creativity-and-innovation-management">circumstances that encourage creativity</a> – through a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/jpim.12239">positive work environment</a> and <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1559-1816.1997.tb00643.x">good manager-employee relationships</a>, for example – have higher levels of productivity, competitiveness and overall performance through fostered innovation, problem-solving and adaptability.</p>
<p>In order for employees to be creative and innovative, they need to be able to have time to engage in different tasks. Through their so-called <a href="https://medium.com/pipedrive-engineering/fedex-day-in-the-development-632a27f91a7b">Fedex days</a>, Atlassian, an Australian software company, did just that: employees were able to do whatever they wanted for a day. </p>
<p>Google and other companies implemented a similar strategy called the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Side_project_time">20% rule</a>, where employees are encouraged to spend up to 20% of their paid work time pursuing personal projects. </p>
<p>Employees also need to feel positive and supported. A <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-a-sense-of-purpose-can-link-creativity-to-happiness-115335">lack of energy or performance anxiety</a> can get in the way of this.</p>
<p>Boredom means that the current work situation does not present a challenge suitable for employees’ skills, meaning that they will not experience a flow state, or satisfaction or fulfilment. Flow states can be very important for inducing <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-secret-to-creativity-according-to-science-89592">creativity</a>. </p>
<p>Most people will experience <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-boredom-can-be-good-for-you-90429">boredom once in a while</a> at work. But as long as it doesn’t become all-consuming, it can even be rewarding. That’s because occasional boredom can divert our attention in directions it might not normally go, or let our brain wander. This may ultimately lead to creative ideas and solutions.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/205855/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Valerie van Mulukom does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Occasional boredom at work is normal and healthy, but if you’re stuck in it long term it can damage your wellbeing.Valerie van Mulukom, Assistant Professor in Cognitive Science, Coventry UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2009672023-05-16T12:39:25Z2023-05-16T12:39:25ZWant more good ideas from your workers? Try giving them a reward – and a choice<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/524697/original/file-20230505-17-7u7e3h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=118%2C799%2C3253%2C2237&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Penny for your thoughts?</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/suggestion-box-royalty-free-image/522656508">Randy Faris/The Image Bank via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>The <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/research-brief-83231">Research Brief</a> is a short take about interesting academic work.</em></p>
<h2>The big idea</h2>
<p>Companies can increase not only the volume but also the quality of employee suggestions and ideas by offering rewards and a choice, according to a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000900">study we published in 2022</a>. </p>
<p>We conducted the study on 345 telemarketers at a call center in Taiwan, which already had a suggestion program set up to solicit creative ideas to improve the organization. The company rewarded those who suggested ideas deemed the most valuable by giving them a trophy. </p>
<p>We wanted to see how tweaking the reward changed the quantity and quality of suggestions. So we invited the employees to submit ideas and that if their suggestions ranked among the top 20% most creative ideas – as evaluated by a team of managers and researchers – they would receive one of four rewards: US$80 in cash for themselves, $80 to share with colleagues, $80 to give to a preferred charitable organization or priority when selecting days off. About half of the employees were offered a choice of the four rewards they would receive for submitting ideas. We then randomly assigned one of the four rewards to the remaining employees. </p>
<p>In total, we received and evaluated 144 ideas over a one-month period. </p>
<p>We found that employees who were given a choice of reward submitted 86% more ideas than those who were told what they would be getting. Moreover, the average creativity score of their ideas was 82% higher. Overall, our suggestion program elicited double the number of ideas as the company’s own program and resulted in ideas that were ranked 84% more creative. </p>
<h2>Why it matters</h2>
<p>Soliciting employee ideas <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8691.00204">can be a key driver</a> of innovation in organizations.</p>
<p>When employees share their ideas about products, services or policies using a suggestion program, an organization can take those ideas and refine and then <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-374714-3.00016-1">implement them</a>. </p>
<p>These <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/peps.12024">implemented ideas</a> can <a href="https://memberfiles.freewebs.com/84/90/65819084/documents/The%20Knowledge-Creating%20Company.pdf">enhance an organization’s ability to adapt and compete</a>. A 2003 study of 47 organizations found that ideas submitted to employee suggestion programs <a href="https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/news/hr-magazine/pages/0205wells.aspx">saved those organizations</a> more than $624 million in a single year. </p>
<p>Our own study suggests small incentives could have a significant impact on the quantity and quality of those employee suggestions.</p>
<h2>What’s next?</h2>
<p>Research is still needed on whether there is an optimal number of rewards that organizations should offer to get more submissions. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.134.2.270">One past study</a> found that when employees were asked to choose from a large set of rewards, they felt overwhelmed and produced few ideas. </p>
<p>Future research can also test whether our results can be found in other types of organizations, with employees in other types of jobs and in other parts of the world. We plan to examine these issues in our future studies of suggestion programs.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/200967/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A recent study found that offering workers a choice of what type of reward they would like for offering good suggestions increased the volume of submissions and their creativity too.Aichia Chuang, Professor of Organizational Behavior, University of North Carolina – GreensboroGreg R. Oldham, Professor emeritus, Tulane UniversityJing Zhou, Deputy Dean of Academic Affairs, Mary Gibbs Jones Professor of Management, Jones Graduate School of Business, Rice UniversityRyan Shuwei Hsu, Associate Professor in the Department of Business Administration, National Chengchi UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2020782023-05-04T11:54:40Z2023-05-04T11:54:40ZUK students are abandoning language learning, so we’re looking for a more creative approach<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/519052/original/file-20230403-16-youwpw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=64%2C0%2C7200%2C4796&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-illustration/learning-languages-online-audiobooks-concept-books-339642275">Maxx-Studio/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>There is a storm brewing for modern language education in the UK. The uptake in higher education has <a href="https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/documents/1764/BAR35-04-Kenny-Barnes.pdf">more than halved</a> in the past 15 years. And in the same period, ten modern language university departments have closed, while a further nine have been significantly downsized. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, language provision in schools is patchy. There are substantial regional differences, and only <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2021/jul/08/millions-of-pupils-in-england-had-no-language-teaching-in-lockdowns-survey">half</a> of pupils in England learn a language at GCSE level. Together, these issues have created an <a href="https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/documents/4437/Languages-learning-in-higher-education-November_2022_vf.pdf">overall problem</a> with access to language learning.</p>
<p>Given these challenges, as language lecturers we believe the way we teach and assess modern languages in our universities needs a <a href="https://theconversation.com/only-one-in-65-new-students-chooses-a-modern-language-degree-we-need-a-rethink-37768">rethink</a>. That’s why we want to explore how more creativity in the subject could help to make language learning more attractive and sustainable in the future. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/english-is-not-enough-british-children-face-major-disadvantage-when-it-comes-to-language-skills-110386">English is not enough – British children face major disadvantage when it comes to language skills</a>
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<p>Despite numbers that suggest an overall sector decline, <a href="https://www.britishcouncil.org/sites/default/files/language-trends-2019.pdf">current trends</a> indicate that it is mostly single honours studies with one language and traditional language choices such as German, French, Italian and Spanish that are affected by dwindling numbers. Combination degrees, especially with non-European languages, appear to be <a href="https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/documents/4437/Languages-learning-in-higher-education-November_2022_vf.pdf">relatively stable</a>.</p>
<p>So, departments offering single language degree combinations and more traditional languages could see these trends as an opportunity to reevaluate their approach.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A woman wearing a pink top stands with arms crossed in front of a chalkboard, which features a range of words in different languages which mean " src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/519087/original/file-20230403-26-ktzjp5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/519087/original/file-20230403-26-ktzjp5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519087/original/file-20230403-26-ktzjp5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519087/original/file-20230403-26-ktzjp5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519087/original/file-20230403-26-ktzjp5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519087/original/file-20230403-26-ktzjp5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519087/original/file-20230403-26-ktzjp5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Should making podcasts, art installations and clowning be considered as part of language learning degrees?</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/learning-foreign-languages-142539865">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In higher education, traditional language teaching and assessment methods involve continuous assessment in four typical language learning areas: grammar, translation, listening and oral. On top of that, there is presentation and essay work, as well as oral and written exams. </p>
<p>Traditional language testing relies on memorisation of vocabulary or grammar to measure student performance. In contrast, feedback-based assessment in the form of written language tasks or translation can have a positive effect that goes beyond a person’s limited ability to use the language in pre-defined contexts. But it is also very <a href="https://www.ijtsrd.com/papers/ijtsrd39858.pdf">subjective and time-consuming</a>. </p>
<p>In addition, artificial intelligence software such as <a href="https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt">ChatGPT</a>, which generates detailed written answers to questions, or <a href="https://www.deepl.com/en/translator">Deep L</a>, which can translate texts with high accuracy, make take-home written assignments <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/jan/13/end-of-the-essay-uk-lecturers-assessments-chatgpt-concerns-ai">vulnerable to cheating, plagiarism</a> and superficial learning. </p>
<p>Neither memorisation or feedback-based testing encourages students to apply their language learning to real-life situations. Language is more <a href="https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/knowledge-hub/creativity-modern-foreign-languages-teaching-and-learning">complex</a> than simple memorisation, translation tasks or essay writing.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="People wearing headphones sit in booths, each looking at a screen." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/519867/original/file-20230406-24-rx2d0n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/519867/original/file-20230406-24-rx2d0n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=418&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519867/original/file-20230406-24-rx2d0n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=418&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519867/original/file-20230406-24-rx2d0n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=418&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519867/original/file-20230406-24-rx2d0n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=525&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519867/original/file-20230406-24-rx2d0n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=525&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519867/original/file-20230406-24-rx2d0n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=525&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">How a typical language laboratory would have looked decades ago.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/lselibrary/3989339979/">Library of the London School of Economics and Political Science</a></span>
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</figure>
<p>An alternative approach that is rarely used in language learning would be to include more creativity in assessment. Creative assessment in modern languages can be any artistically-inspired exercise aimed at measuring a student’s performance. </p>
<p>Examples of artistic research and creative assessment could include blog writing, podcasts, animation and art installations, creating graphic novels, writing poetry, painting, photography and even clowning. </p>
<p>If a student were to write and direct a <a href="https://creativemodernlanguages.uk/2022/11/25/womens-writing-in-latin-america-short-films/">short film based on women’s writing in Latin America</a>, it could provide lecturers with endless opportunities for creative, task-specific and more individualised feedback that is less repetitive. It would also provide a productive opening for more student group work, for critical reflection that goes beyond simple essay questions and could add valuable skills to a student’s CV.</p>
<p>Currently, creative assessments are mostly limited to theatre and art schools or to creative writing departments. We argue that ignoring such an approach in our subject area diminishes the potential <a href="https://www.cscjes.org.uk/articles/cbca5ccb-3272-4274-830c-66b5355d02d8">cultural, subjective and creative value of modern languages</a> because it neglects opportunities for intercultural, social and artistic exploration. </p>
<p>We already know that <a href="https://innovateinstructionignitelearning.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/GajdaKarwowskiBeghetto-metaGPAvscreativity.pdf">being more creative improves learning</a> in general. Plenty of research has been done looking at how creativity improves academic outcomes across age ranges and topics, including <a href="https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/The-need-to-engage-students%E2%80%99-creative-thinking-in-Smare/dd9037fb1cf52e9f766933a91a0380e0c7cae91a">language learning</a>. </p>
<p>We think such <a href="https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Engaging-students%E2%80%99-imaginations-in-second-language-Judson-Egan/2ed8f9873be3a74e08bd6d7faa68caeb28fb538f">findings</a> should be applied practically to language learning to encourage students to approach their studies in different, more interesting ways. And this could ultimately inspire more students to study modern languages at university. Given the significant decline language teaching is facing, it’s vital that we look for and test such approaches.</p>
<h2>Creativity</h2>
<p>As a start, we’ve launched the <a href="https://creativemodernlanguages.uk">Creative Modern Languages project</a>. It’s an initiative that provides university researchers, students and teachers with an open-access modern languages hub. We are hoping that it will help to identify the best examples of creativity in language learning and act as a catalyst for more creative types of teaching, assessment and research.</p>
<p>There are some caveats, however. We acknowledge that implementing such changes may be met with fears and restrictions. Some colleagues say they are worried about time constraints and the administrative burden that may come with introducing creative assessment. They have also expressed concerns about not <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10400419.2017.1360061">feeling creative enough</a>, a lack of funding and increased workload. </p>
<p>But it is clear to us that implementing more creative forms of research and assessment in modern languages is necessary for attracting students in the future and countering the potential negative effects of AI technology. </p>
<p>What we are hoping to do is to encourage an ongoing discussion about more creative types of research and assessment in modern languages. Ultimately, it could help to introduce more students to the joys of other languages, people and cultures.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/202078/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alex Mangold received funding from the British Academy for the research mentioned in this article (Talent Development Award 2021). </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sarah Pogoda received funding from the British Academy for the research mentioned in this article (Talent Development Award 2021).</span></em></p>The number of students studying languages in UK universities has plummeted in recent years but some creative thinking may help to reverse that trend.Alex Mangold, Lecturer in German, Aberystwyth UniversitySarah Pogoda, Senior Lecturer in German, Bangor UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2044442023-04-27T12:30:48Z2023-04-27T12:30:48ZAI is exciting – and an ethical minefield: 4 essential reads on the risks and concerns about this technology<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/522863/original/file-20230425-1294-jxaicn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C5%2C1900%2C1563&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Who's in control?</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/technology-risk-and-security-issues-royalty-free-image/923872400?phrase=%22artificial%20intelligence%22%20danger&adppopup=true">John Lund/Stone via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>If you’re like me, you’ve spent a lot of time over the past few months trying to figure out what this AI thing is all about. Large-language models, generative AI, algorithmic bias – it’s a lot for the less tech-savvy of us to sort out, trying to make sense of the myriad headlines about artificial intelligence swirling about.</p>
<p>But understanding how AI works is just part of the dilemma. As a society, we’re also confronting concerns about its social, psychological and ethical effects. Here we spotlight articles about the deeper questions the AI revolution raises about bias and inequality, the learning process, its <a href="https://theconversation.com/ai-and-the-future-of-work-5-experts-on-what-chatgpt-dall-e-and-other-ai-tools-mean-for-artists-and-knowledge-workers-196783">impact on jobs</a>, and even the artistic process.</p>
<h2>1. Ethical debt</h2>
<p>When a company rushes software to market, it often accrues “technical debt”: the cost of having to fix bugs after a program is released, instead of ironing them out beforehand. </p>
<p>There are examples of this in AI as companies race ahead to compete with each other. More alarming, though, is “<a href="https://theconversation.com/ai-has-social-consequences-but-who-pays-the-price-tech-companies-problem-with-ethical-debt-203375">ethical debt</a>,” when development teams haven’t considered possible social or ethical harms – how AI could replace human jobs, for example, or when <a href="https://theconversation.com/criminal-justice-algorithms-being-race-neutral-doesnt-mean-race-blind-177120">algorithms end up reinforcing biases</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.colorado.edu/cmci/people/information-science/casey-fiesler">Casey Fiesler</a>, a technology ethics expert at the University of Colorado Boulder, wrote that she’s “a technology optimist who thinks and prepares like a pessimist”: someone who puts in time speculating about what might go wrong. </p>
<p>That kind of speculation is an especially useful skill for technologists trying to envision consequences that might not impact them, Fiesler explained, but that could hurt “marginalized groups that are underrepresented” in tech fields. When it comes to ethical debt, she noted, “the people who incur it are rarely the people who pay for it in the end.”</p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/ai-has-social-consequences-but-who-pays-the-price-tech-companies-problem-with-ethical-debt-203375">AI has social consequences, but who pays the price? Tech companies' problem with 'ethical debt'</a>
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<h2>2. Is anybody there?</h2>
<p>AI programs’ abilities can give the impression that they are sentient, but they’re not, explained <a href="https://www.umb.edu/faculty_staff/bio/nir_eisikovits">Nir Eisikovits</a>, director of the Applied Ethics Center at the University of Massachusetts Boston. “ChatGPT and similar technologies are sophisticated sentence completion applications – nothing more, nothing less,” he wrote. </p>
<p>But saying <a href="https://theconversation.com/ai-isnt-close-to-becoming-sentient-the-real-danger-lies-in-how-easily-were-prone-to-anthropomorphize-it-200525">AI isn’t conscious</a> doesn’t mean it’s harmless. </p>
<p>“To me,” Eisikovits explained, “the pressing question is not whether machines are sentient but why it is so easy for us to imagine that they are.” Humans easily project human features onto just about anything, including technology. That tendency to anthropomorphize “points to real risks of psychological entanglement with technology,” according to Eisikovits, who studies AI’s impact on how people understand themselves.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/522717/original/file-20230424-18-s88z43.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A human hand against a dark background reaches out to touch a hologram-like hand." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/522717/original/file-20230424-18-s88z43.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/522717/original/file-20230424-18-s88z43.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/522717/original/file-20230424-18-s88z43.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/522717/original/file-20230424-18-s88z43.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/522717/original/file-20230424-18-s88z43.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/522717/original/file-20230424-18-s88z43.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/522717/original/file-20230424-18-s88z43.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">People give names to boats and cars – and can get attached to AI, too.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/artificial-intelligence-robot-finger-touching-to-royalty-free-image/1182764552?phrase=artificial%20intelligence%20finger&adppopup=true">Yuichiro Chino/Moment via Getty Images</a></span>
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<p>Considering how many people talk to their pets and cars, it shouldn’t be a surprise that chatbots can come to mean so much to people who engage with them. The next steps, though, are “strong guardrails” to prevent programs from taking advantage of that emotional connection.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/ai-isnt-close-to-becoming-sentient-the-real-danger-lies-in-how-easily-were-prone-to-anthropomorphize-it-200525">AI isn't close to becoming sentient – the real danger lies in how easily we're prone to anthropomorphize it</a>
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</p>
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<h2>3. Putting pen to paper</h2>
<p>From the start, ChatGPT fueled parents’ and teachers’ fears about cheating. How could educators – or college admissions officers, for that matter – figure out if an essay was written by a human or a chatbot?</p>
<p>But AI sparks more fundamental questions about writing, according to <a href="https://www.american.edu/cas/faculty/nbaron.cfm">Naomi Baron</a>, an American University linguist who studies technology’s effects on language. AI’s potential threat to writing isn’t just about honesty, but about <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-chatgpt-robs-students-of-motivation-to-write-and-think-for-themselves-197875">the ability to think itself</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/522716/original/file-20230424-28-k614lx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A woman with short hair, a necklace, and a short-sleeve dress smiles guardedly in a black and white photograph." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/522716/original/file-20230424-28-k614lx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/522716/original/file-20230424-28-k614lx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=805&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/522716/original/file-20230424-28-k614lx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=805&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/522716/original/file-20230424-28-k614lx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=805&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/522716/original/file-20230424-28-k614lx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1012&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/522716/original/file-20230424-28-k614lx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1012&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/522716/original/file-20230424-28-k614lx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1012&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">American writer Flannery O'Connor sits with a copy of her novel ‘Wise Blood,’ published in 1952.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/american-writer-flannery-oconnor-with-her-book-wise-blood-news-photo/95002520?adppopup=true">Apic/Hulton Archive via Getty Images</a></span>
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<p>Baron pointed to novelist Flannery O'Connor’s remark that “I write because I don’t know what I think until I read what I say.” In other words, writing isn’t just a way to put your thoughts on paper; it’s a process to help sort out your thoughts in the first place.</p>
<p>AI text generation can be a handy tool, Baron wrote, but “there’s a slippery slope between collaboration and encroachment.” As we wade into a world of more and more AI, it’s key to remember that “crafting written work should be a journey, not just a destination.”</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-chatgpt-robs-students-of-motivation-to-write-and-think-for-themselves-197875">How ChatGPT robs students of motivation to write and think for themselves</a>
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<h2>4. The value of art</h2>
<p>Generative AI programs don’t just produce text, but also complex images – which have even captured <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/artificial-intelligence-art-wins-colorado-state-fair-180980703/">a prize or two</a>. In theory, allowing AI to do nitty-gritty execution might free up human artists’ big-picture creativity.</p>
<p>Not so fast, said Eisikovits and <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=m_VO5XcAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">Alec Stubbs</a>, who is also a philosopher at the University of Massachusetts Boston. The finished object viewers appreciate is <a href="https://theconversation.com/chatgpt-dall-e-2-and-the-collapse-of-the-creative-process-196461">just part of the process we call “art</a>.” For creator and appreciator alike, what makes art valuable is “the work of making something real and working through its details”: the struggle to turn ideas into something we can see.</p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/chatgpt-dall-e-2-and-the-collapse-of-the-creative-process-196461">ChatGPT, DALL-E 2 and the collapse of the creative process</a>
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<p><em>Editor’s note: This story is a roundup of articles from The Conversation’s archives.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/204444/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
AI is poised to reshape parts of US culture and society. Have tech developments raced ahead of our ability to understand the consequences?Molly Jackson, Religion and Ethics EditorLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2029472023-04-06T06:30:31Z2023-04-06T06:30:31ZHoliday help! An art expert suggests screen-free things to do in every room of the house<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/518945/original/file-20230403-26-p77pnf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=8%2C25%2C5599%2C3640&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Keren Fedida/Unsplash</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>School holidays can feel like a marathon if all the kids want to do is watch TV, play Minecraft or repeatedly ask you for the iPad.</p>
<p>There are lots of things you can do inside the house that do not involve a screen. And will help ward off any whines along the lines of: “I’m booooooored”.</p>
<p>In a <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-set-up-a-kids-art-studio-at-home-and-learn-to-love-the-mess-196026">previous piece</a> I talked about how to set up an art studio at home. This time, here are five creative ideas to try in every room of the house. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-set-up-a-kids-art-studio-at-home-and-learn-to-love-the-mess-196026">How to set up a kids' art studio at home (and learn to love the mess)</a>
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<h2>In the kitchen: make your own paint</h2>
<p>Kids enjoy making potions in the garden by adding dirt and flowers and you can have similar fun in the kitchen making paint from ingredients in the cupboard. </p>
<p>Paint is made with pigment and a binder. The <a href="https://www.earthdate.org/episodes/the-colorful-history-of-paint#:%7E:text=By%2040%2C000%20years%20ago%2C%20tribes,and%20roots%2C%20and%20many%20minerals.">first paint on cave walls</a> was made with charcoal, ochre, minerals mixed with water, saliva, blood, animal fat and even wee. The history of paint is fascinating and kids are intrigued by the stories, like how a certain purple (tyrian) comes from the <a href="https://exhibitions.kelsey.lsa.umich.edu/ancient-color/map_purple.php">glands of sea snails</a> and how a type of yellow was cruelly made from <a href="https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20180906-did-animal-cruelty-create-indian-yellow">cow wee</a>, after forcing them to eat mango leaves. </p>
<p>You can make your own paint with spices like turmeric, curry powder and cinnamon or hunt through the house for chalk and eye shadow for a variety of colours. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Ground turmeric" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/518936/original/file-20230403-16-1dhaqe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/518936/original/file-20230403-16-1dhaqe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518936/original/file-20230403-16-1dhaqe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518936/original/file-20230403-16-1dhaqe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518936/original/file-20230403-16-1dhaqe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518936/original/file-20230403-16-1dhaqe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518936/original/file-20230403-16-1dhaqe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Ground tumeric can be turned into paint.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Grind the pigments up with a mortar and pestle (some will need this more than others but it’s a fun part of the process). Then in a glass or jar, mix your ground pigments with a bit of egg yolk, a teaspoon of vinegar and a small amount of water as a binder and you have made <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/tempera-painting">egg tempera</a> – a type of paint the Egyptians discovered and some artists still use today. </p>
<p>Experiment with other spices, berries, grass or charcoal. If it’s colourful, you can grind it and its not too lumpy, give it a go. See how many colours you can make, then make a painting.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/screen-time-for-kids-is-an-outdated-concept-so-lets-ditch-it-and-focus-on-quality-instead-186462">'Screen time' for kids is an outdated concept, so let's ditch it and focus on quality instead</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>In the living room: create a box masterpiece</h2>
<p>Kids who may not like to draw or paint often love construction. So, collect different types of boxes and see what your child can create. </p>
<p>Apart from the boxes, you will also need masking tape. Kids can tear it themselves, or use a dispenser. Staplers and hole punchers are good connectors too. Also give them some thick markers, fabric scraps and glue to add details to their creations. </p>
<p>One holiday, we lived around my daughter’s construction zone as she worked with cardboard, other items from the recycling bin and things from around the house to make her own house.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/519176/original/file-20230404-20-my260t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/519176/original/file-20230404-20-my260t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/519176/original/file-20230404-20-my260t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519176/original/file-20230404-20-my260t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519176/original/file-20230404-20-my260t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519176/original/file-20230404-20-my260t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=630&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519176/original/file-20230404-20-my260t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=630&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519176/original/file-20230404-20-my260t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=630&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Cardboard boxes and everyday household items can be turned into a holiday home.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Naomi Zouwer</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>In your child’s bedroom: paint a mural</h2>
<p>This won’t be possible for everyone, but think about letting your child paint a mural in their bedroom. My mum let us create fantastic scenes in our bedrooms growing up. </p>
<p>Start by mapping out a basic design on paper. This slows the process down, allowing the child to think about what they would like on their walls. But be prepared for the plan to go out the window. Sometimes as artists we respond to the materials when we get them in our hands.</p>
<p>The trick to creating a successful mural with kids is selecting a good colour palette and you really can’t go wrong.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A child paints a flower on a wall." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/518940/original/file-20230403-28-itefrs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/518940/original/file-20230403-28-itefrs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518940/original/file-20230403-28-itefrs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518940/original/file-20230403-28-itefrs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518940/original/file-20230403-28-itefrs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518940/original/file-20230403-28-itefrs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518940/original/file-20230403-28-itefrs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Start with a mural plan but be prepared to ditch it.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Get some sample-sized pots of water-based interior paint and bristle brushes from the hardware shop. Then tape a drop sheet to the floor and cover anything else you don’t want covered in paint and go for it! </p>
<p>If this is too freestyle for you, have a look at the wonderful “field of flowers” activity in Hervé Tullet’s book, <a href="https://www.phaidon.com/phaidon-kids/ages-3-5/art-workshops-for-children-9780714869735/">Art Workshops for Children</a>. This is a more structured approach to a collaborative painting and yields beautiful results (it starts with dots, then dots within dots and you end up with a field of flowers). </p>
<p>If this is not possible where you live, consider liquid chalk pens to create murals on the windows. This is so much fun and you can play with tracing things outside the window. </p>
<p>Pick an array of colours and overlap line drawings to build up patterns on the glass. This is so easy to clean too – just wipe it off with a wet cloth.</p>
<h2>In the dining room: make a comic</h2>
<p>The dining table is the perfect spot for projects and drawing. I find kids love creating comics. The book <a href="https://www.vox.com/culture/2020/1/8/21024723/lynda-barry-interview-making-comics-book">Making Comics</a> by Lynda Barry has excellent exercises to get you started on comic strips, storyboards and zines. </p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/519177/original/file-20230404-24-fr2hi2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/519177/original/file-20230404-24-fr2hi2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/519177/original/file-20230404-24-fr2hi2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=854&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519177/original/file-20230404-24-fr2hi2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=854&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519177/original/file-20230404-24-fr2hi2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=854&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519177/original/file-20230404-24-fr2hi2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1073&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519177/original/file-20230404-24-fr2hi2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1073&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519177/original/file-20230404-24-fr2hi2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1073&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">‘A day at the museum’ by T Slater, aged 5.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Naomi Zouwer</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Zines are mini DIY booklets. You can fill them with ideas using drawing, collage and words. Check out my <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5QuKshVL-4">how to make a zine video</a> done for the National Museum of Australia’s <a href="https://www.nma.gov.au/exhibitions/ancient-greeks">Ancient Greeks exhibition</a> last year.</p>
<p>You could do something similar: take your young person to see an exhibition, collect some flyers or postcards, and then at home cut them up and stick them into a zine. This can extend your child’s museum experience, and provides a chance to discuss and make sense of what you saw together. </p>
<p>Children use drawing to make sense of the world around them. When my son was five, he made a comic about a gallery experience: how he didn’t want to go, how he felt about some of the artworks, and how he was relieved to get out because he was scared by some of the work. </p>
<p>This gave me the opportunity to see how strongly he was affected by the exhibition and we were able to talk about those feelings. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/U5QuKshVL-4?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<h2>In the bathroom: crack open the shaving cream</h2>
<p>Shaving cream is a <a href="https://artfulparent.com/shaving-cream-art-play-round-up-of-ideas/">great medium</a> with endless possibilities for <a href="https://www.goodstart.org.au/parenting/exploring-the-benefits-of-sensory-play">sensory play</a>, which helps brain development, motor skills and more. </p>
<p>You can make slime by adding a cup of glue to two cups of shaving cream and sprinkling a teaspoon of baking powder in the mix, plus two teaspoons of saline solution. Add food dye for a marble effect, make prints and paint with it onto a mirror or bathtub. </p>
<p>You can also use it to make sculptures. Start with a shampoo bottle as your armature (inner structure) and build your form around it. Take photos of the sculptures as a way of recording the ephemeral creations. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Green and blue dye mixed into shaving cream." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/518932/original/file-20230403-3782-se4i4t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/518932/original/file-20230403-3782-se4i4t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518932/original/file-20230403-3782-se4i4t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518932/original/file-20230403-3782-se4i4t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518932/original/file-20230403-3782-se4i4t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518932/original/file-20230403-3782-se4i4t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518932/original/file-20230403-3782-se4i4t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Add food dye to shaving cream for a creative bathroom activity.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Try adding cornstarch to the shaving cream and play with the proportions until you have developed a malleable substance. The transformation of the substance is quite remarkable and kids love the tactile quality of this mixture.</p>
<p>In the end, kids have the best ideas, so just take some time to ask them what kinds of creative activities they might like to explore over the holidays and let them take the lead. The important thing here is to let go, enjoy the process and play – worry about cleaning up later!</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-get-the-most-out-of-sand-play-4-tips-from-a-sculptor-195209">How to get the most out of sand play: 4 tips from a sculptor</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/202947/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Naomi Zouwer does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>From the kitchen to the bedroom and bathroom, here are five creative ideas to try in every room of the house.Naomi Zouwer, Visual Artist and Lecturer in Teacher Education, University of CanberraLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1958852023-03-10T13:40:33Z2023-03-10T13:40:33ZIntegrity, innovation and risk-taking is a rare combination in CEOs, new research suggests<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/514537/original/file-20230309-1995-dvz195.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C4808%2C3619&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A CEO's word choices can help with figuring out their level of integrity.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/businesswoman-standing-alone-in-conference-room-royalty-free-image/107430207?adppopup=true">Martin Barraud</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>The <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/research-brief-83231">Research Brief</a> is a short take about interesting academic work.</em></p>
<h2>The big idea</h2>
<p>Corporate chief executive officers who have a high degree of integrity – that is, <a href="https://doi.org/10.2307/259104">a commitment to act</a> by a morally justified set of principles and values – tend to be less creative, more risk-averse and less likely to take initiative than other CEOs, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1108/EJM-02-2021-0095">according to new research</a> I co-authored. </p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/104225879902300304">Past research suggests</a> that as a result, their companies are likely to be less competitive and less profitable. </p>
<p>Having a lot of integrity <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/1648943/most-important-leadership-quality-ceos-creativity">has traditionally been considered</a> one of the most important qualities of a business leader. Research has shown that a high level of CEO integrity is a key trait <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/25123630">in determining employee loyalty</a> as well as <a href="https://doi.org/10.24034/j25485024.y2012.v16.i2.213">preventing problems like fraud</a>.</p>
<p>My colleague <a href="https://business.olemiss.edu/faculty-directory/dr-saim-kashmiri/">Saim Kashmiri</a> and I wondered, however, if there are any downsides to being a top boss with lots of integrity. So we analyzed financial and other information on 213 companies listed in the Forbes 500 from 2014 to 2017. We only included companies where CEOs had been hired from 2011 to 2013 and stayed with the company until at least 2018. </p>
<p>We determined a CEO’s level of integrity by analyzing their annual letters to shareholders for key words. Specifically, past research has shown that people <a href="https://doi.org/10.2308/accr-52554">who use a lot of “causation words”</a> – such as “because,” “hence” and “therefore” – tend to have a low degree of integrity because such words are often used to rationalize ethically questionable actions. </p>
<p>We scored CEOs who used few of these causation words in their letters as having a high level of integrity. </p>
<p>We tested the validity of this method several ways, including by looking at companies ranked as the most ethical by independent observers like Forbes. We found a high correlation between our measure of integrity and these companies.</p>
<p>Similarly, to gauge how innovative, proactive and likely to take risks these CEOs were, we analyzed the shareholder letters for key words that <a href="https://doi.org/10.2308/accr-52554">existing research</a> has identified as being highly correlated with those traits. We then conducted a regression analysis, a statistical technique that identifies associations between two variables along with the magnitude of that association, as well as significance of whether the association is by chance.</p>
<p>Our analysis found that CEOs who scored the highest in terms of integrity also scored the lowest on our measures of innovation, proactiveness and risk-taking – traits <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/258632">often associated with entrepreneurial behavior</a>. </p>
<p>The correlation was stronger among CEOs who were also chairs of their boards of directors – giving them considerably more power over the company – or who we determined to be very overconfident. </p>
<p>The correlation was weaker among CEOs in charge of more consumer-oriented companies, such as retailers, and CEOs who received more of their compensation with company stock – which tends to reward higher performance. </p>
<h2>Why it matters</h2>
<p>Companies led by CEOs who take more risks, act more proactively and are innovative tend to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/104225879101600102">outperform their competitors financially</a> in part because they are active in finding fresh market opportunities, which <a href="http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusvent.2006.05.003">strengthens the business’s competitive position</a>. Such companies <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2015.10.149">also tend to be stronger</a> <a href="http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusvent.2006.05.003">at marketing</a>.</p>
<p>We are not suggesting companies should avoid hiring leaders with high levels of integrity. In fact, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-019-04114-x">research has shown</a> that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-005-7888-5">integrity is a predictor</a> of good leadership and fundamental to fostering commitment and loyalty among employees.</p>
<p>However, corporate boards are duty-bound to choose chief executives <a href="http://doi.org/10.5465/amr.2007.24345254">who will increase shareholder value</a>. So they should be aware of these tendencies and help their high-integrity CEOs counterbalance the negatives, such as by offering more incentive-based compensation and establishing processes and structures that stimulate innovation. </p>
<h2>What’s next</h2>
<p>While this study analyzed word choices to rate CEO integrity, we are now studying how a CEO’s language may affect those around him or her in ways that could have a good or bad impact on a company’s bottom line – such as improving creativity or causing employees to leave their jobs. We are currently gathering data on reactions to leaders’ language choices via employee and manager surveys to learn more.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/195885/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Prachi Gala does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Strong values and principles are key traits in effective business leaders – but they can come with tendencies to take fewer risks and be less proactive or innovative.Prachi Gala, Assistant Professor of Marketing, Kennesaw State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1985792023-03-05T17:20:09Z2023-03-05T17:20:09ZGenerative AI like ChatGPT reveal deep-seated systemic issues beyond the tech industry<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/512548/original/file-20230227-2379-ojc054.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C4126%2C2536&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Some critics have claimed that artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT has "killed the essay," while DALL-E, an AI image generator, has been portrayed as a threat to artistic integrity.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/generative-ai-like-chatgpt-reveal-deep-seated-systemic-issues-beyond-the-tech-industry" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>ChatGPT has cast long shadows over the media as the latest form of <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/d/disruptive-technology.asp">disruptive technology</a>. For some, ChatGPT is a harbinger of the end of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/dec/04/ai-bot-chatgpt-stuns-academics-with-essay-writing-skills-and-usability">academic</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-023-00107-z">scientific integrity</a>, and <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/01/chatgpt-ai-economy-automation-jobs/672767/">a threat to white collar jobs</a> and our <a href="https://www.hks.harvard.edu/centers/mrcbg/programs/growthpolicy/how-chatgpt-hijacks-democracy">democratic institutions</a>. </p>
<p>How concerned should we be about generative artificial intelligence (AI)? The developers of ChatGPT describe it as <a href="https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt/">“a model… which interacts in a conversational way”</a> while also calling it a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/openai-sam-altman-chatgpt-cool-but-horrible-product-2023-2">“horrible product”</a> for its inconsistent results.</p>
<p>It can write emails, summarize documents, review code and provide comments, translate documents, create content, play games, and, of course, chat. This is hardly the stuff of a dystopian future. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/unlike-with-academics-and-reporters-you-cant-check-when-chatgpts-telling-the-truth-198463">Unlike with academics and reporters, you can't check when ChatGPT's telling the truth</a>
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<p>We should not fear the introduction of technologies, but neither should we assume they serve our interests. Societies are in a constant process of cultural evolution defined by inertia from the past, temporary consensus and disruptive technologies that introduce new ideas and approaches. </p>
<p>We must understand and embrace the co-evolution of humans and technology by considering what a technology is designed to do, how it relates to us and how our lives will change from it.</p>
<h2>Are ChatGPT and DALL-E really creators?</h2>
<p>Along with intelligence, creativity is often considered a uniquely human ability. But creativity is not exclusive to humans — it is a property that has emerged across species as a product of <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/convergent-evolution">convergent evolution</a>.</p>
<p>Species as diverse as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0020231">crows</a>, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B978012415823800023X">octopuses</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0500232102">dolphins</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0010544">chimpanzees</a> can improvize and use tools as well. </p>
<p>Despite the liberal use of the term, creativity is <a href="https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429501234">notoriously hard to capture</a>. Its features include <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/10227-011">the quantity of output</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.573432">identifying connections between seemingly unrelated things (remote associations)</a> and providing atypical solutions to problems. </p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.093008.100416">Creativity does not simply reside in the individual; our social networks and values are also important</a>. As the presence of cultural variants increases, we have a larger pool of ideas, products and processes to draw from. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A group of people sit on the floor looking at a huge ceiling-high screen displaying an abstract artwork with an orange background and swatches of red, black, and ochre across it." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/512531/original/file-20230227-691-3swwte.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/512531/original/file-20230227-691-3swwte.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512531/original/file-20230227-691-3swwte.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512531/original/file-20230227-691-3swwte.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512531/original/file-20230227-691-3swwte.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512531/original/file-20230227-691-3swwte.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512531/original/file-20230227-691-3swwte.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Visitors view artist Refik Anadol’s <em>Unsupervised</em> exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in January 2023 in New York. The art installation is AI-generated and meant to be a thought-provoking interpretation of the New York City museum’s prestigious collection.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/John Minchillo)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Our cultural experiences are resources for creativity. The more diverse ideas we are exposed to, the more novel connections we can make. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022110361707">Studies have suggested</a> that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.63.3.169">multicultural experience is positively associated with creativity</a>. The greater the distance between cultures, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550612462413">the more creative products we can observe</a>.</p>
<p>Creativity can also lead to convergence. Different individuals can create similar ideas independent of one another, a process referred to as <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/985546">scientific co-discovery</a>. The invention of calculus and the theory of natural selection are the most prominent examples of this. </p>
<p>Artificial intelligence is defined by its ability to learn, identify patterns and use decision-making rules. </p>
<p>If linguistic and artistic products are patterns, then AI — especially those like ChatGPT and DALL-E — should be capable of creativity by assimilating and combining divergent patterns from different artists. <a href="https://www.pcmag.com/news/creative-tone-loosens-the-reins-on-ai-powered-microsoft-bing">Microsoft’s Bing chatbot</a> claims that as one of its core values.</p>
<h2>AI needs people</h2>
<p>There is a fundamental problem with such programs: art is now data. By scooping up these products through a process of analysis and synthesis, we can ignore the contributions and cultural traditions of human creators. Without citing and crediting these sources, they can be seen as <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgxzcOugvEI">high-tech plagiarism</a>, appropriating artistic products that have taken generations to accumulate. Concerns of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/pspi0000327">cultural appropriation</a> must also be applicable to AI.</p>
<p>AI might someday evolve in unpredictable ways, but for the moment, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s12559-018-9619-0">they still rely on humans</a> for their data, design and operations, and the social and ethical challenges they present. </p>
<p>Humans are still needed for quality control. These efforts often reside within the impenetrable <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-022-00858-1">black box of AI</a>, with these operations often outsourced to markets where <a href="https://time.com/6247678/openai-chatgpt-kenya-workers/">labour is cheaper</a>. </p>
<p>The recent high-profile story of CNET’s <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/media/2023/01/17/cnet-ai-articles-journalism-corrections/">“AI journalist”</a> presents another example of why skilled human interventions are needed.</p>
<p><a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/cnet-publishing-articles-by-ai">CNET started discretely using an AI bot to write articles</a> in November 2020. After significant errors were pointed out by other news sites, the website ended up publishing lengthy corrections for the AI-written content and <a href="https://www.cnet.com/tech/cnet-is-testing-an-ai-engine-heres-what-weve-learned-mistakes-and-all/">did a full audit of the tool</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A robotic hand and a human hand touch their index fingers together, emulating the famous 'The Creation of Adam' painting by Michelangelo" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/512547/original/file-20230227-1917-vvz0wl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/512547/original/file-20230227-1917-vvz0wl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=369&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512547/original/file-20230227-1917-vvz0wl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=369&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512547/original/file-20230227-1917-vvz0wl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=369&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512547/original/file-20230227-1917-vvz0wl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512547/original/file-20230227-1917-vvz0wl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512547/original/file-20230227-1917-vvz0wl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">AI might someday evolve in unpredictable ways, but for the moment, it still relies on humans.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>At present, there are no rules to determine whether AI products are creative, coherent or meaningful. These are decisions that must be made by people.</p>
<p>As industries adopt AI, old roles occupied by humans will be lost. Research tells us these losses will be felt the most by those in <a href="https://www.ippr.org/research/publications/women-automation-and-equality">already vulnerable positions</a>. This pattern follows a general trend of <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Ethical-Artificial-Intelligence-from-Popular-to-Cognitive-Science-Trust/Schoenherr/p/book/9780367697983">adopting technologies before we understand — or care about — their social and ethical implications</a>.</p>
<p>Industries rarely consider how a displaced workforce will be re-trained, leaving those individuals and their communities to address these disruptions.</p>
<h2>Systemic issues go beyond AI</h2>
<p>DALL-E has been portrayed as a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/nov/12/when-ai-can-make-art-what-does-it-mean-for-creativity-dall-e-midjourney">threat to artistic integrity</a> because of its ability to automatically generate images of people, exotic worlds and fantastical imagery. Others claim ChatGPT has <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2022/12/chatgpt-ai-writing-college-student-essays/672371/">killed the essay</a>.</p>
<p>Rather than seeing AI as the cause of new problems, we might better understand AI ethics as bringing attention to old ones. <a href="https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ771037">Academic misconduct</a> is a common problem caused by underlying issues including peer influence, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00221546.2006.11778956">perceived consensus</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1024954224675">perception of penalties</a>.</p>
<p>Programs like ChatGPT and DALL-E will merely facilitate such behaviour. Institutions need to acknowledge these vulnerabilities and develop new policies, procedures and <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/366673569_Building_Trust_with_the_Ethical_Affordances_of_Education_Technologies_A_Sociotechnical_Systems_Perspective">ethical norms</a> to address these issues.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/chatgpt-students-could-use-ai-to-cheat-but-its-a-chance-to-rethink-assessment-altogether-198019">ChatGPT: students could use AI to cheat, but it's a chance to rethink assessment altogether</a>
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<p>Questionable research practices <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-021-00314-9">are also not uncommon</a>. <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2023/1/26/23570967/chatgpt-author-scientific-papers-springer-nature-ban">Concerns over AI-authored research papers</a> are simply an extension of inappropriate authorship practices, such as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.d6128">ghost and gift authorship in the biomedical sciences</a>. They hinge on <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00877">discipline conventions, outdated academic reward systems and a lack of personal integrity</a>. </p>
<p>As publishers reckon with <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2023/1/26/23570967/chatgpt-author-scientific-papers-springer-nature-ban">questions of AI authorship</a>, they must confront deeper issues, like why the mass production of academic papers <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.22636">continues to be incentivized</a>.</p>
<h2>New solutions to new problems</h2>
<p>Before we shift responsibility to institutions, we need to consider whether we are providing them with sufficient resources to meet these challenges. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00220671.1991.9941813">Teachers are already burned out</a> and <a href="https://sunypress.edu/Books/P/Peerless-Science2">the peer review system is overtaxed</a>.</p>
<p>One solution is to fight AI with AI using <a href="https://www.plagiarismtoday.com/2023/01/05/3-approaches-to-detect-ai-writing/">plagiarism detection tools</a>. Other <a href="https://www.pcgamer.com/put-a-name-to-the-real-artwork-behind-ai-art-with-this-algorithmically-smart-tool/">tools can be developed</a> to attribute art work to its creators, or <a href="https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/katienotopoulos/ai-writing-detection-tool-homework-students">detect the use of AI in written papers</a>.</p>
<p>The solutions to AI are hardly simple, but they can be stated simply: the fault is not in our AI, but in ourselves. To paraphrase Nietzsche, if you stare into the AI abyss, it will stare back at you.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/198579/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jordan Richard Schoenherr does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Rather than seeing artificial intelligence as the cause of new problems, we might better understand AI ethics as bringing attention to old ones.Jordan Richard Schoenherr, Assistant Professor, Psychology, Concordia UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1992672023-02-28T13:27:28Z2023-02-28T13:27:28ZDALL-E 2 and Midjourney can be a boon for industrial designers<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/512525/original/file-20230227-24-rbvmaq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=61%2C33%2C3669%2C2763&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A volcano-themed tissue box designed with the help of AI-assisted image generation.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Juan Noguera</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Since the introduction of DALL-E 2 and ChatGPT, there has been a fair amount of <a href="https://theconversation.com/chatgpt-and-cheating-5-ways-to-change-how-students-are-graded-200248">hand-wringing</a> about AI technology – some of it justified. </p>
<p>It’s true that the technology’s future is unclear. There is great debate about <a href="https://www.mediaethicsmagazine.com/index.php/browse-back-issues/219-fall-2022-vol-34-no-1/3999403-an-extension-of-the-artist-dall-e-2-and-the-ethical-challenges-of-ai-art">the ethics</a> of using existing artwork, images and content to train these AI products, <a href="https://theconversation.com/chatgpt-dall-e-2-and-the-collapse-of-the-creative-process-196461">and concern</a> about what industries <a href="https://theconversation.com/ai-and-the-future-of-work-5-experts-on-what-chatgpt-dall-e-and-other-ai-tools-mean-for-artists-and-knowledge-workers-196783">it will displace or change</a>. And it seems as if an AI arms race between companies like <a href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2023/02/07/reinventing-search-with-a-new-ai-powered-microsoft-bing-and-edge-your-copilot-for-the-web/">Microsoft</a> and <a href="https://blog.google/technology/ai/bard-google-ai-search-updates/">Google</a> is already underway. </p>
<p>And yet as an <a href="http://www.no.gt">industrial designer and professor</a>, I’ve found AI image generation programs to be a fantastic way to improve the design process. </p>
<p>They don’t replace the valuable insights and critical thinking skills I’ve accumulated from years of experience. But they do spark creativity and expand the range of what’s possible with the products my students and I design.</p>
<h2>A peek behind the design curtain</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.idsa.org/what-industrial-design">Industrial design</a> involves creating everyday objects, with a particular focus on their form and function. Industrial designers have a hand in anything from furniture and consumer electronics to accessories and apparel. </p>
<p>A typical design process involves lots of research and talking to consumers about their needs. From there, designers brainstorm ideas and sketch them out, followed by the prototyping and fabrication stage. Finally, the objects get refined and manufactured. </p>
<p>During the early stages of brainstorming, designers spend a lot of time with their sketchbooks, getting inspired by their immediate environment, by history books and by their own experiences. The internet also plays a big role – it’s where designers collect many of the images they use to create <a href="https://www.dictionary.com/browse/inspiration-board">inspiration boards</a>. Famously, <a href="https://www.hodinkee.com/magazine/jony-ive-apple">Jonathan Ive</a>, who designed many iconic Apple products, looked at luxury watches as inspiration for the Apple Watch, using the “<a href="https://www.uniformwares.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/watch-crown.png">crown</a>” – normally used to wind a mechanical watch and set the time – as an input device to allow users to scroll through content.</p>
<p>AI has given designers like myself the ability to generate images just based on a simple text prompt. Tools like <a href="https://towardsdatascience.com/dall-e-2-explained-the-promise-and-limitations-of-a-revolutionary-ai-3faf691be220">DALL-E</a> or <a href="https://www.midjourney.com/home/">Midjourney</a> let us input abstract concepts and turn them into a flood of images. </p>
<p>Enter any sentence – no matter how crazy – and you’ll receive a set of unique images generated just for you. Want to design a teapot? Here, have 1,000 of them. Some may have a dinosaur shape; others may be made of mashed potatoes. </p>
<p>While only a small subset of them may be usable as a teapot, they provide a seed of inspiration that the designer can nurture and refine into a finished product. </p>
<h2>From nostalgia to a tissue box</h2>
<p>Perhaps a handful of those 1,000 teapot images allow a designer to conceive of a new, unexpected shape that is easier to hold, more economical to manufacture or more beautiful to look at. Generative AI can facilitate the brainstorming process, but it’s still the designer’s responsibility to make the choices that ultimately lead to products that enrich people’s lives.</p>
<p>Recently, I have found myself using AI image generators like DALL-E and Midjourney to explore complex ideas that might be difficult or time-consuming to articulate and channel into a physical product. For example, for one project, I wanted to create objects that really connected people, in a deep way, to a place they had visited or lived in – as opposed to the refrigerator magnet souvenirs that tourists often end up buying.</p>
<p>So I decided to design a set of small household objects to be sold to tourists visiting the small colonial town of <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/21/t-magazine/antigua-guatemala-travel-guide.html">Antigua, Guatemala</a>, just a few miles from where I grew up. I wanted the objects to elicit nostalgia about the town – and perhaps inspire those who purchased them to want to return.</p>
<p>I began by prompting DALL-E for tabletop objects that were nostalgic. The results were hilarious and unexpected. I received images of objects that looked sad, like erasers and a tissue box with a frown. It had taken my prompt very literally. </p>
<p>Then I got more specific, inserting “Antigua” into my prompts. The results started including iconic symbols of the town – the volcanoes that surround it, the cobblestone streets, the colonial architecture.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/510110/original/file-20230214-1098-t9fpa3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Images of the AI concept generation process." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/510110/original/file-20230214-1098-t9fpa3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/510110/original/file-20230214-1098-t9fpa3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=300&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510110/original/file-20230214-1098-t9fpa3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=300&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510110/original/file-20230214-1098-t9fpa3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=300&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510110/original/file-20230214-1098-t9fpa3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510110/original/file-20230214-1098-t9fpa3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510110/original/file-20230214-1098-t9fpa3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">In the left column are images generated by OpenAI’s DALL-E when the author prompted it to come up with nostalgic desktop objects. The middle columns represent refined inputs for tabletop objects that represent the city of Antigua. The column on the right are composites created by the author before proceeding with the traditional design process.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Juan Noguera</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>After a little sketching, I narrowed down the results further by inputting “tissue boxes” and “eruption of tissue.” </p>
<p>From there, I continued playing around in my sketchbook and eventually created a Photoshop mock-up of a tissue box shaped like the Volcán de Agua, or “Water Volcano,” which lies south of the city. </p>
<p>I then used my traditional design skills to create a 3D computer drawing of it – also known as a “<a href="https://www.designlaunchers.com/what-is-3d-cad-modeling">CAD model</a>” – using actual terrain data from the volcano, and fabricated a fully functional and manufacturable object. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="3D model created of a volcano-topped tissue box based on the AI-generated images and the author's own sketches that resulted from them." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/510107/original/file-20230214-28-s66z91.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/510107/original/file-20230214-28-s66z91.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=302&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510107/original/file-20230214-28-s66z91.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=302&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510107/original/file-20230214-28-s66z91.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=302&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510107/original/file-20230214-28-s66z91.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=380&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510107/original/file-20230214-28-s66z91.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=380&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510107/original/file-20230214-28-s66z91.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=380&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A 3D model of a volcano-topped tissue box based on AI-generated images and the author’s ensuing sketches.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Juan Noguera</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Continuing with the volcano theme, I decided to create a companion object of the neighboring Volcán de Fuego, or “Fire Volcano,” which is constantly active and erupting. Fire made me think of matches, and I prompted the AI to generate images of volcano-shaped matchstick holders. </p>
<p>The results weren’t great. But they were good enough to help me imagine a small cast-iron object that could hold some stormproof matches, which I chose because when placed on the holder, they evoked a lava-filled eruption. </p>
<p>To me, the tissue box and matchbox holder are perfect homages to Antigua and all the memories this place holds for me, good and bad. The fire volcano matchstick holder conveys excitement and adventure, while the tissue box evokes tears, longing and nostalgia. </p>
<p>Even though I made all of the design choices, the AI generator helped me navigate my abstract design goals. </p>
<p>It’s hard to say if I would have landed on these prototypes on my own.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Prototypes of a volcano-themed tissue box and matchstick holder." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/510101/original/file-20230214-22-ovdk2s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C4031%2C3024&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/510101/original/file-20230214-22-ovdk2s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510101/original/file-20230214-22-ovdk2s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510101/original/file-20230214-22-ovdk2s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510101/original/file-20230214-22-ovdk2s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510101/original/file-20230214-22-ovdk2s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510101/original/file-20230214-22-ovdk2s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The tissue box, Agua, was modeled using the the terrain data of the real volcano of the same name.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Juan Noguera</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Opening new creative doors</h2>
<p>AI technology is not going away anytime soon. As an educator, I believe it would be irresponsible to not explore, with my students, the ways in which it can improve the design process. </p>
<p>In the fall semester of the 2022-2023 academic year, I had my graduate students at the Rochester Institute of Technology use AI image generation to develop their own products. <a href="https://www.core77.com/posts/117169/Unexpected-outcomes-when-design-students-use-AI-as-part-of-their-process">The results were impressive</a>, with students creating an electric violin, a chair inspired by fruit and shoes made out of fungus. They all used AI in a different way, but they all noted how it led them down an unexpected path. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Prototype of a furturistic-looking electric violin." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/510144/original/file-20230214-20-ic2z1b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/510144/original/file-20230214-20-ic2z1b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510144/original/file-20230214-20-ic2z1b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510144/original/file-20230214-20-ic2z1b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510144/original/file-20230214-20-ic2z1b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510144/original/file-20230214-20-ic2z1b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510144/original/file-20230214-20-ic2z1b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">An electric violin designed by Rochester Institute of Technology graduate student Jayden Zhou.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Jayden Zhou</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>When I read alarmist articles about this new technology, I’ll sometimes think back to the early days of 3D modeling systems and how some people thought they would replace designers and artists. Those fears were ultimately dispelled, and designers never went back to the large blueprints and drafting boards of old. </p>
<p>Just as Google can make it easier for a journalist to conduct research for an article or find someone to interview, I believe AI can serve as a valuable wellspring of inspiration in the designer’s toolbox.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/199267/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Juan Noguera does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>During the brainstorming stage of the design process, AI-powered image generation programs can open creative doors that may have otherwise never been accessed.Juan Noguera, Assistant Professor of Design, Rochester Institute of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2002632023-02-23T03:33:18Z2023-02-23T03:33:18ZThe huge fandoms of stars like Harry Styles are underestimated – but these highly creative communities can teach young people useful skills<p>This week, Harry Styles finally kicked off the Australian leg of his much anticipated tour. Fans have been preparing for months, creating <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/fashion/bigger-than-a-formal-why-fans-spend-months-on-diy-harry-styles-concert-outfits-20230202-p5chig.html">handmade outfits</a> and learning the “boot scoot” – <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@taylorxcx/video/7144099140715171115?lang=en">a dance associated on tour</a> with Styles’ song Treat People With Kindness.</p>
<p>As <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-rise-and-rise-of-harry-styles-how-did-the-former-boyband-member-become-the-biggest-name-in-pop-183128">one of the world’s biggest pop stars</a>, the ex-One Direction singer has amassed millions of fans, referred to as “Harries”. </p>
<p>You’d be hard pressed to find an article about Styles that doesn’t mention his fans. </p>
<p>They’ve sold out shows in minutes, taken over TikTok trends and <a href="https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/music/tours/fans-wait-in-scorching-temperatures-for-harry-styles/news-story/35fa50dce881986ee17895a634b0cea9">camped outside venues</a>. They’re also a highly creative bunch of young people, using their fandom to learn new skills that will carry them forward in many aspects of their lives.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/thats-what-makes-them-beautiful-why-one-direction-fans-are-smarter-than-you-17186">That’s what makes them beautiful: why One Direction fans are smarter than you</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Fan creativity</h2>
<p>Fandoms can be spaces where <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0031721718762416">young people develop</a> important transferable creative skills. Fans are mastering video-editing skills to remix existing footage into fan edits, learning coding and web design to customise fan sites, and creating <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1367877909337857">organised marketing campaigns</a> to promote their idols’ music and help them win awards. </p>
<p>My research shows these skills have positive flow-on effects into other areas of fans’ lives, including their careers. </p>
<hr>
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<p>The <a href="https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203114339">relationship between creativity and fandom</a> isn’t new. Fan productivity has been a central focus of <a href="https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203181539">fan studies research</a> since the early 1990s, and there have been great case studies on fans of <a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/au/womens-history-of-the-beatles-9781501348051/">The Beatles</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1749975517700774">hardcore music</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/2059436420954588">K-pop</a>, just to name a few. </p>
<p>Today, the rise of social media platforms means fan creativity is being showcased <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180422112254id_/http://www.participations.org/Volume%2010/Issue%201/9%20Hills%2010.1.pdf">to a much wider audience</a>. </p>
<p>Fans create and circulate user-generated content, such as fan fiction, video edits or graphics, often referred to as “fan-art”. </p>
<p>Spend some time on TikTok and you’ll see intricate <a href="https://vt.tiktok.com/ZS8mWoNbW/">cookie designs</a>, <a href="https://vt.tiktok.com/ZS8m72Dqe/">ceramics</a> and <a href="https://vt.tiktok.com/ZS8m7vRsR/">tour outfit illustrations</a> all inspired by Styles. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-a-shoey-and-why-did-harry-styles-do-one-on-stage-in-australia-200342">What is a 'shoey' and why did Harry Styles do one on stage in Australia?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Fashion, fiction and finding deeper meaning</h2>
<p>A fandom is essentially a group of like-minded people coming together over a shared interest. Being part of a music fandom means there is a captive audience with whom to share your work. Fellow fans provide encouragement, feedback and recognition. </p>
<p>Learning a new skill takes practice. Dedicated fans are spending a significant amount of their spare time interacting in these communities, developing creative skills as they participate. </p>
<p>This community aspect of fandom creates a supportive, <a href="http://doi.org/10.1080/15405700903502346">peer-to-peer</a> learning environment where <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1354856515579844">expertise is distributed among fans</a>. The shared sense of belonging creates a safe space where fans feel comfortable to experiment with their work.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="InstagramEmbed" data-react-props="{"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/Cmr3D8kyiGJ/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY%3D","accessToken":"127105130696839|b4b75090c9688d81dfd245afe6052f20"}"></div></p>
<p>In my research, I surveyed 63 fans of Styles to get a better idea of just what skills they are learning through their fandom. Their answers included:</p>
<ul>
<li><p><strong>graphic design</strong>. As fans create posters, art and graphics, they’re learning how to use Photoshop and developing their own design style. </p></li>
<li><p><strong>sewing</strong>. Inspired by Styles’ own love of fashion, it’s become customary to dress up for Love On Tour. His New York show actually caused a shortage of feather boas <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/09/07/harry-styles-love-on-tour-at-msg-sparks-feather-boa-shortage/">across the city</a> after Styles wore one on stage. Fans have been designing their own merchandise, and learning how to sew by observing other fans.</p></li>
</ul>
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<hr>
<ul>
<li><p><strong>writing.</strong> Engaging in fan fiction communities can help fans <a href="https://doi.org/10.2304/elea.2014.11.6.619">develop important literary skills</a> through writing, reading, collaborating and critiquing texts. On the popular fan fiction site <a href="https://www.wattpad.com/search/harry%20styles">Wattpad</a>, there are more than 270,000 stories under the tag “Harry Styles”, some which have attracted millions of readers.</p></li>
<li><p><strong>close reading.</strong> By analysing lyrics and music videos, fans are developing close reading strategies, seeking out small details and extracting meanings. </p></li>
<li><p><strong>digital literacy.</strong> Fans <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/277597873_Everything_I_Need_To_Know_I_Learned_from_Fandom_How_Existing_Social_Norms_Can_Help_Shape_the_Next_Generation_of_User-Generated_Content">have been recognised</a> as early adopters of the internet. Their ability to jump onto new platforms <a href="https://blogs.city.ac.uk/ludiprice/2021/02/19/fan-literacy-on-my-conversation-with-dr-matt-finch/">has been referred to as</a> “fan literacy”. By observing trends and seeing what’s popular, fans are learning how to create engaging content across social media platforms. </p></li>
</ul>
<p><div data-react-class="InstagramEmbed" data-react-props="{"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/CkZ8I7HroFF/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY%3D","accessToken":"127105130696839|b4b75090c9688d81dfd245afe6052f20"}"></div></p>
<h2>Participation potential</h2>
<p>Realising their capabilities and potential, and gaining confidence in their own abilities flowed into other aspects of the fans’ lives. The accumulation of these skills was helpful in preparing them for the workplace.</p>
<p>As one Styles fan explained: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>It taught me how to create engaging content, how to interact with people on the internet, what looks unprofessional, and also how to do design elements and marketing strategies.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In my PhD research, I’ve found fan participation can become a stepping stone for aspiring creative professionals. </p>
<p>One Styles fan, who is now working in media design, said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>By trying out so much in Photoshop for fandom edits, I learnt a lot and was able to express myself and experiment freely. Getting so much encouragement and positive feedback, that kept me so productive.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Fan-made creations can provide a body of creative work fans can include in their portfolio when applying for jobs in the creative industries.</p>
<hr>
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<hr>
<p>However, these skills can be <a href="https://doi.org/10.1386/jfs.2.1.21_1">overlooked</a> because of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261143001001520">gendered views of fan culture</a>. Pop musicians such as Styles have predominantly female audiences, and cultural products associated with girls are <a href="https://researchoutput.csu.edu.au/ws/portalfiles/portal/9677922/PrepubPID12178.pdf">frequently looked down upon</a>. </p>
<p>It’s hard to forget the time <a href="https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/one-direction-gq-covers-interview">GQ Magazine</a> described a typical One Direction fan as a: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>rabid, knicker-wetting banshee who will tear off her own ears in hysterical fervour when presented with the objects of her fascinations. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Yikes.</p>
<p>These assumptions are limiting the opportunities for fans to leverage their skills. </p>
<h2>From fandom to creative futures</h2>
<p>Pop music fandom is often considered trivial and childish, positioned as a phase fans must grow out of. Because of this, we don’t often consider how being a fan could actually be useful in adult environments, such as the workplace.</p>
<p>While perceptions of female fans are shifting, these overarching stereotypes mean fangirls are often dismissed as obsessive or juvenile. But this is a limited view of their experiences and capabilities. Pop music fans are acquiring valuable skills which can set them up for future success in other areas of their lives. </p>
<p>As Styles said in a <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/feature/harry-styles-new-direction-119432/">Rolling Stone article</a>: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>How can you say young girls don’t get it? They’re our future.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>It’s time we start taking fans seriously.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/200263/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kate Pattison does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The community aspect of music fandom, as exemplified by the vast numbers of Harry Styles’ fans, encourages creative expression.Kate Pattison, PhD Candidate, RMIT UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1976222023-02-06T15:03:21Z2023-02-06T15:03:21ZI introduced social entrepreneurship to my trainee teachers – why it’ll make them better at their jobs<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/506819/original/file-20230127-3270-6vhvy8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Teachers can get their pupils thinking about different ways to create sustainable livelihoods through something as simple as a vegetable garden at school.
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Jasmin Merdan/Getty Images</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The daily headlines from South Africa are largely gloomy. The country’s government seems unable to address a <a href="https://www.enca.com/analysis/sas-electricity-crisis-17-years-rolling-blackouts">years-long electricity crisis</a> that is steadily worsening. Unemployment <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-11-29/south-africa-jobless-rate-drops-to-third-highest-in-the-world">is high</a>. Food prices <a href="https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/food-prices-in-south-africa-continue-to-surge/">are climbing</a>. </p>
<p>But there are pockets of excellence – like stories <a href="https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-09-28-social-enterprises-could-be-an-answer-to-south-africas-development-challenges-but-investors-are-in-short-supply/">of social entrepreneurship</a>, an approach that uses business principles to create positive social and environmental impact. <a href="https://res.cloudinary.com/do95jfmcf/image/upload/v1624300757/website/publications/210607_BC_Early_Stage_Funding_Report_V3-compressed_nxdwrk.pdf">It involves</a> identifying social problems using entrepreneurial principles to develop, fund, and implement solutions. </p>
<p>Though entrepreneurship of any kind is not easy, it can instil incredible tenacity in the face of adversity. There are lessons here. For the past seven years I’ve sought to help trainee teachers harness those lessons by introducing them to the concept of social entrepreneurship.</p>
<p>To do so, I start with “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zk9I3Iq3Dow">Who Cares?</a>”, a documentary by Brazilian filmmaker Mara Mourão. It’s about social entrepreneurs from seven countries who discover new and innovative ways to solve some of society’s most pressing matters. They do so while working with few resources and catering to fundamental human needs that governments, particularly in the global south, cannot provide. </p>
<p>I use this film in my classes to assist future teachers in understanding how global problems influence countries and to encourage students to think critically and imaginatively about ways to help lessen inequality in their communities. </p>
<p>This is critical for teachers. Many of the students who graduate from our programme will go on to work in disadvantaged communities where social entrepreneurship could create real change. It could also give pupils a chance to explore how they might pursue social entrepreneurship as a career. </p>
<h2>How it started</h2>
<p>The major aim of existing school and university curricula is to prepare students for higher education and to acquire a degree and subsequently work for a company. The emphasis is on improving people’s own lives rather than thinking about how to assist the communities in which they reside. By teaching my students about social entrepreneurship, I offer them a practical way to enact social justice. This is the notion that everyone should have equal rights and opportunities in society’s social, economic, and political spheres. </p>
<p>In 2016, I set out <a href="http://ersc.nmmu.ac.za/articles/ESRC_Sept_2017_Waghid_and_Oliver_Vol_6_No_2_pp_76-100.pdf">to study</a> whether a group of 43 future teachers could grasp and apply the concept of social entrepreneurship. </p>
<p>I was drawn to social entrepreneurship education because it often incorporates hands-on, experiential learning, which may be more interesting and beneficial for students than traditional classroom instruction. This was appealing: it would allow me to see the effect of my teaching on real-world issues.</p>
<p>Mourão’s 2013 documentary delves into the lives of social entrepreneurs such as Nobel Prize winner <a href="https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/2006/yunus/biographical/">Muhammad Yunus</a> of Bangladesh, as well as others from Brazil, Peru, Tanzania, Canada, Germany, Switzerland and the United States, whose socially beneficial ventures have significantly and positively affected certain communities.</p>
<p>Prior to seeing the documentary, hardly any of the students understood what social entrepreneurship was. Some students saw a clear connection between it and corporate social responsibility. The latter, though, is more concerned with the financial and social aims of increasing a company’s competitiveness than with improving people’s lives.</p>
<p>Subsequent cohorts of trainee teachers have also not initially grasped the concept of social entrepreneurship. The rigid South African school curriculum appears to be the root cause of this conceptual gap. Most young people are not given the chance at school to think critically and creatively, and the curriculum doesn’t offer enough opportunities for students to learn about or implement social entrepreneurship.</p>
<h2>Towards establishing a community</h2>
<p>The film, both for the initial cohort whose reactions I documented in a <a href="http://ersc.nmmu.ac.za/articles/ESRC_Sept_2017_Waghid_and_Oliver_Vol_6_No_2_pp_76-100.pdf">research paper</a>, and for those who have followed, seemed to spark the students’ curiosity. It also showed them that seemingly small projects can count as entrepreneurship. Creating a vegetable garden at school is a way to teach learners the necessary skills and knowledge to be self-sufficient and aware of economic and environmental sustainability. </p>
<p>But what would this look like in practice?</p>
<p>To find out, the 2016 cohort and I identified a historically underprivileged high school in Cape Town where we hoped to help develop various sorts of social innovation and entrepreneurship. Then we discovered that the school was already involved in a community engagement project through an annual market day. The proceeds were used to host an annual awareness campaign aimed at recognising, appreciating, and honouring the contributions of elderly South African citizens in the community. </p>
<p>Rather than starting something new, the trainee teachers worked with pupils taking part in the market day to help build their social ventures. This involved applying what they learned from “Who Cares?” to develop business plans. </p>
<p>And they learned about another important aspect of social entrepreneurship: listening to communities rather than assuming they know how to solve existing problems. Communities can enlighten universities about what needs to happen, what is already being done, and what collaboration might look like, as seen in the example of the school above.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/197622/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Zayd Waghid received funding in 2019 from the National Research Foundation for a project called "Cultivating Social Entrepreneurial Education in Universities and Schools". He is currently an executive member of the South African Education Research Association.</span></em></p>Though entrepreneurship of any kind is not easy, it can instil tenacity in the face of adversity. There are lessons here for trainee teachers.Zayd Waghid, Associate professor, Cape Peninsula University of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1978752023-01-19T13:36:13Z2023-01-19T13:36:13ZHow ChatGPT robs students of motivation to write and think for themselves<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/504967/original/file-20230117-13536-r12t6t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=52%2C10%2C6937%2C4285&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">AI writing tools may carry hidden dangers that harm the creative process.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/robotic-hand-pressing-a-keyboard-on-a-laptop-3d-royalty-free-image/1418475387?phrase=AI%20writing&adppopup=true">Guillaume via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>When the company <a href="https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt/">OpenAI launched</a> its new artificial intelligence program, ChatGPT, in late 2022, educators began to worry. ChatGPT could generate text that seemed like a human wrote it. How could teachers detect whether students were using language generated by an AI chatbot to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2022/12/28/chatbot-cheating-ai-chatbotgpt-teachers/">cheat</a> on a writing assignment?</p>
<p>As a <a href="https://www.american.edu/cas/faculty/nbaron.cfm">linguist</a> who studies the effects of technology on how people <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/how-we-read-now-9780197656884?cc=us&lang=en&">read</a>, <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Alphabet-to-Email-How-Written-English-Evolved-and-Where-Its-Heading/Baron/p/book/9780415186865">write</a>
and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378216621000187">think</a>, I believe there are other, equally pressing concerns besides cheating. These include whether AI, more generally, threatens student writing skills, the value of writing as a process, and the importance of seeing writing as a vehicle for thinking. </p>
<p>As part of the research for my new book on the <a href="https://www.american.edu/cas/faculty/nbaron.cfm">effects of artificial intelligence on human writing</a>, I surveyed young adults in the U.S. and Europe about a host of issues related to those effects. They reported a litany of concerns about how AI tools can undermine what they do as writers. However, as I note in my book, these concerns have been a long time in the making.</p>
<h2>Users see negative effects</h2>
<p>Tools like ChatGPT are only the latest in a progression of AI programs for editing or generating text. In fact, the potential for AI undermining both writing skills and motivation to do your own composing has been decades in the making.</p>
<p>Spellcheck and now sophisticated grammar and style programs like <a href="https://www.grammarly.com">Grammarly</a> and <a href="https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/microsoft-editor-checks-grammar-and-more-in-documents-mail-and-the-web-91ecbe1b-d021-4e9e-a82e-abc4cd7163d7">Microsoft Editor</a> are among the most widely known AI-driven editing tools. Besides correcting spelling and punctuation, they identify grammar issues as well as offer alternative wording. </p>
<p>AI text-generation developments have included autocomplete for online searches and predictive texting. Enter “Was Rome” into a Google search and you’re given a list of choices like “Was Rome built in a day.” Type “ple” into a text message and you’re offered “please” and “plenty.” These tools inject themselves into our writing endeavors without being invited, incessantly asking us to follow their suggestions. </p>
<p>Young adults in my surveys appreciated AI assistance with spelling and word completion, but they also spoke of negative effects. One survey participant said that “At some point, if you depend on a predictive text [program], you’re going to lose your spelling abilities.” Another observed that “Spellcheck and AI software … can … be used by people who want to take an easier way out.”</p>
<p>One respondent mentioned laziness when relying on predictive texting: “It’s OK when I am feeling particularly lazy.” </p>
<h2>Personal expression diminished</h2>
<p>AI tools can also affect a person’s writing voice. One person in my survey said that with predictive texting, “[I] don’t feel I wrote it.”</p>
<p>A <a href="https://standard.asl.org/16178/opinions/does-grammarly-help-or-hinder-students/">high school student in Britain</a> echoed the same concern about individual writing style when describing Grammarly: “Grammarly can remove students’ artistic voice. … Rather than using their own unique style when writing, Grammarly can strip that away from students by suggesting severe changes to their work.”</p>
<p>In a similar vein, Evan Selinger, a philosopher, worried that predictive texting reduces the power of writing as a form of mental activity and personal expression.</p>
<p>“[B]y encouraging us not to think too deeply about our words, predictive technology may subtly change how we interact with each other,” <a href="https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20150115-is-autocorrect-making-you-boring">Selinger wrote</a>. “[W]e give others more algorithm and less of ourselves. … [A]utomation … can stop us thinking.”</p>
<p>In literate societies, writing has long been recognized as a <a href="https://quoteinvestigator.com/2019/12/11/know-say/">way to help people think</a>. Many people have quoted author <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Flannery-OConnor">Flannery O’Connor</a>’s comment that “I write because I don’t know what I think until I read what I say.” A host of other accomplished writers, from <a href="https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/literature/1949/faulkner/biographical/">William Faulkner</a> to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1976/12/05/archives/why-i-write-why-i-write.html">Joan Didion</a>, have also voiced this sentiment. If AI text generation does our writing for us, we diminish opportunities to think out problems for ourselves. </p>
<p>One eerie consequence of using programs like ChatGPT to generate language is that the text is grammatically perfect. A finished product. It turns out that <a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/2022/12/19/1065596/how-to-spot-ai-generated-text/">lack of errors</a> is a sign that AI, not a human, probably wrote the words, since even accomplished writers and editors make mistakes. Human writing is a process. We question what we originally wrote, we rewrite, or sometimes start over entirely.</p>
<h2>Challenges in schools</h2>
<p>When undertaking school writing assignments, ideally there is ongoing dialogue between teacher and student: Discuss what the student wants to write about. Share and comment on initial drafts. Then it’s time for the student to rethink and revise. But this practice often doesn’t happen. Most teachers don’t have time to fill a collaborative editorial – and educational – role. Moreover, they might lack interest or the necessary skills, or both. </p>
<p>Conscientious students sometimes undertake aspects of the process themselves – as professional authors typically do. But the temptation to lean on editing and text generation tools like Grammarly and ChatGPT makes it all too easy for people to substitute ready-made technology results for opportunities to think and learn. </p>
<p>Educators are brainstorming <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/12/technology/chatgpt-schools-teachers.html">how to make good use</a> of AI writing technology. Some point up AI’s potential to kick-start thinking or to collaborate. Before the appearance of ChatGPT, an earlier version of the same underlying program, GPT-3, was licensed by commercial ventures <a href="https://www.sudowrite.com">such as Sudowrite</a>. Users can enter a phrase or sentence and then ask the software to fill in more words, potentially stimulating the human writer’s creative juices.</p>
<h2>A fading sense of ownership</h2>
<p>Yet there’s a slippery slope between collaboration and encroachment. Writer <a href="https://www.theverge.com/c/23194235/ai-fiction-writing-amazon-kindle-sudowrite-jasper">Jennifer Lepp admits</a> that as she increasingly relied on Sudowrite, the resulting text “didn’t feel like mine anymore. It was very uncomfortable to look back over what I wrote and not really feel connected to the words or ideas.”</p>
<p>Students are even less likely than seasoned writers to recognize where to draw the line between a writing assist and letting an AI text generator take over their content and style. </p>
<p>As the technology becomes more powerful and pervasive, I expect schools will strive to teach students about generative AI’s <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/16/technology/chatgpt-artificial-intelligence-universities.html">pros and cons</a>. However, the lure of efficiency can make it hard to resist relying on AI to polish a writing assignment or do much of the writing for you. Spellcheck, grammar check and autocomplete programs have already paved the way.</p>
<h2>Writing as a human process</h2>
<p>I asked ChatGPT whether it was a threat to humans’ motivation to write. The bot’s response:</p>
<p>“There will always be a demand for creative, original content that requires the unique perspective and insight of a human writer.”</p>
<p>It continued: “[W]riting serves many purposes beyond just the creation of content, such as self-expression, communication, and personal growth, which can continue to motivate people to write even if certain types of writing can be automated.”</p>
<p>I was heartened to find the program seemingly acknowledged its own limitations. </p>
<p>My hope is that educators and students will as well. The purpose of making writing assignments must be more than submitting work for a grade. Crafting written work should be a journey, not just a destination.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/197875/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Naomi S. Baron does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>People who have used AI to help with writing report a loss of pride and ownership in what they produce.Naomi S. Baron, Professor of Linguistics Emerita, American UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.