Motivated to Create or Dependent to Produce? Understanding the Relationship between Use of Artificial Intelligence and Creative Behavior among Students

Since the earliest days of civilization, creativity has served as the foundation of human progress. From ancient cave paintings and musical expressions to groundbreaking scientific revolutions and modern digital innovations, it is the creative spirit that empowers individuals to solve problems, express their identities, and adapt to an ever-evolving world. This research aimed at studying the relationship between Artificial Intelligence (Motivation to use AI and Dependence on AI) and perceived Creativity among students in India. A sample of 51 college students aged 18-25 years from various cities in India were selected for the study. Standardized self-report Questionnaires were used to assess students’ Motivation (Questionnaire for Use AI Motives; QUAIM), Dependence (Dependence on AI Scale; DIA) and Creative behavior (Kaufmann Domains of Creativity Scale; KDOCS). Descriptive statistics and Pearson’s product moment correlation coefficients were calculated using SPSS. Results indicated positive correlations between intrinsic interest in AI and – self/everyday and mechanical- forms of creativity. While utility value was positively correlated with everyday creativity. Conversely, Vulnerability to AI, showcasing dependence, was negatively correlated with Artistic and Performance creativity. While correlations do not speak for causal attributions, these results suggest that while the intrinsic motivation to engage with AI tool may foster or facilitate Creativity in certain aspects, overdependence on AI could negative impact expressive and performance-based creativity. This study also highlights the importance of fostering a balanced and interest focused approach to the integration of AI tools in the Education workspace.