Research Article
Volume 7 Issue 5
Robin Vivian*
October 29, 2025
Abstract
The advent of generative artificial intelligence (AI) has precipitated a paradigm shift in the conception, production, and valuation of creative works, challenging centuries-old notions of human genius, originality, and authorship. This article explores how generative AI—exemplified by systems like DALL·E, Midjourney, and ChatGPT—disrupts the Romantic ideal of the solitary creator by producing artifacts that audiences perceive as aesthetically and conceptually original. Drawing on Margaret Boden’s (Boden 2004) typology of creativity (combinatorial, exploratory, transformational) and philosophical critiques from Hubert Dreyfus (1992) and Ted Chiang (2025), we argue that AI does not signal the obsolescence of human creativity but rather its reconfiguration into a hybrid, distributed process. Empirical studies (Ashkinaze et al., 2024; Sarkar, 2023) reveal that while AI outputs are often judged as "creative," they lack the intentionality and embodied experience central to human expression. Yet, artists like Refik Anadol demonstrate how AI can serve as a collaborative tool, expanding creative possibilities through projects like Machine Hallucinations (Anadol, R. 2022–2023), which transform vast datasets into immersive installations. This shift raises pressing questions about authorship, ethical frameworks, and the democratization vs. homogenization of culture, as seen in legal disputes over copyright (Heaven W.D. 2025) and the EU’s 2024 AI Act. The article concludes that the "twilight of human genius" is not an extinction but a transformation, where creativity becomes a plural, interactive, and ethically grounded practice. The future lies in reflective innovation—balancing technological advancement with critical engagement to ensure that AI augments rather than diminishes the depth and diversity of human expression.
Keywords: Generative AI; Co-Invention; Innovation; Human-Machine Collaboration; AI Governance
References