Paper Number
ICIS2025-2261
Paper Type
Complete
Abstract
Generative artificial intelligence (GAI) is transforming new product development (NPD) by enhancing raw idea generation. While GAI’s creativity-enhancing effects are acknowledged, little is known about how task characteristics shape its effectiveness for NPD. This study examines how combination atypicality and abstractness moderate GAI’s creativity-enhancing effects. In a pre-registered experiment, participants designed toys by combining two concepts varying in combination atypicality and abstractness, with or without GAI assistance. Results show that GAI increases creativity, with accentuated gains of 3.7% (3.3%) for highly atypical (abstract) combinations—driven by increased appropriateness (novelty). This effect is due to the enrichment of creativity in substance rather than form. Mechanism analyses reveal that GAI disproportionately helps less creative participants to deal with the complexities of highly atypical combinations and aids participants to explore more unique concepts in highly abstract combinations. We advance the understanding of GAI’s theoretical roles and practical implications for creativity enhancement in NPD.
Recommended Citation
Hu, Jinya; Goh, Khim Yong; and Sun, Chenshuo, "AI-Enabled Fuzzy Front End: How and Why Generative AI Enhances Creativity in Raw Idea Generation" (2025). ICIS 2025 Proceedings. 27.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/icis2025/hti/hti/27
AI-Enabled Fuzzy Front End: How and Why Generative AI Enhances Creativity in Raw Idea Generation
Generative artificial intelligence (GAI) is transforming new product development (NPD) by enhancing raw idea generation. While GAI’s creativity-enhancing effects are acknowledged, little is known about how task characteristics shape its effectiveness for NPD. This study examines how combination atypicality and abstractness moderate GAI’s creativity-enhancing effects. In a pre-registered experiment, participants designed toys by combining two concepts varying in combination atypicality and abstractness, with or without GAI assistance. Results show that GAI increases creativity, with accentuated gains of 3.7% (3.3%) for highly atypical (abstract) combinations—driven by increased appropriateness (novelty). This effect is due to the enrichment of creativity in substance rather than form. Mechanism analyses reveal that GAI disproportionately helps less creative participants to deal with the complexities of highly atypical combinations and aids participants to explore more unique concepts in highly abstract combinations. We advance the understanding of GAI’s theoretical roles and practical implications for creativity enhancement in NPD.
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