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MIT Sloan Management Review 2026

The Hidden Cost of AI-Assisted Creativity

Léonard Boussioux; Anil Doshi; Oliver Hauser; Kartik Hosanagar

Abstract

AI can make individual creators more productive and inventive — but at a collective cost. Across four studies spanning short-story writing, circular-economy solutions, humor, and collaborative storytelling, the authors found that AI consistently limited the diversity of ideas across groups. The result: higher average quality, but fewer breakthrough outliers. Managers who understand this paradox can design workflows that harness AI while preserving the originality that fuels long-term innovation.

DOI
10.63383/sxit9497
Sources
openalex

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