Artificial intelligence tools, such as ChatGPT, are rapidly affecting the workplace, and there is growing belief that they will enhance employee innovation. However, little evidence exists as to whether these tools help or hinder employee creativity. New research (Sun et al., 2025) puts this question to the test.
THE RESEARCH STUDY
The researchers conducted a field experiment with over 200 employees in a technology firm in China. Some employees were randomly assigned to receive ChatGPT accounts for one week, while others did not. The researchers found that, after just about one week, employees who used ChatGPT were rated by both supervisors and external evaluators as more creative than those who had not used it. This was because ChatGPT helped employees offload information-heavy tasks and free up their mental energy for idea generation.
Further, employees who were rated higher at metacognitive strategies (i.e., those skilled at planning, tracking progress, and adjusting approaches as needed) were more effective at leveraging ChatGPT as a resource to help with creativity.
PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS
This study shows that employees can benefit from using AI tools like ChatGPT to support creative tasks, and organizations should encourage their use when possible. In addition, organizations may want to train employees in metacognitive strategies so they can better take advantage of these tools. For example, training could focus on skills such as thinking through the steps of problem-solving, keeping track of how well an approach is working, and how to make adjustments when needed. In turn, this could help employees more effectively leverage AI in their roles.
Sun, S., Li, Z. A., Foo, M.-D., Zhou, J., & Lu, J. G. (2025). How and for whom using generative AI affects creativity: A field experiment. Journal of Applied Psychology. Advance online publication.
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