The Hidden Cost of AI-Assisted Creativity

Léonard Boussioux, Anil R. Doshi, Oliver Hauser, and Kartik Hosanagar

Sloan Management Review, 2026

AI can make individual creators more productive and inventive — but at a collective cost. Across four studies spanning story writing, circular economy solutions, humor, and collaborative storytelling, the authors found that AI consistently compressed 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.

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