John Nosta writes:

Every day, it seems that artificial intelligence (AI) and large language models (LLMs) are winning the battle for both cognition and creativity, dazzling us with their problem-solving prowess and even artistic flair. But a new paper casts a fascinating and unexpected light on this issue: The secret to AI’s most transformative power may lie not in its algorithms but in the creative minds that guide it.

This study examined more than a thousand scientists working in a research lab, assessing how AI-assisted tools impacted their productivity and innovation. The results were interesting and not unexpected: Scientists using AI reported a 44 percent increase in material discoveries, a 39 percent rise in patent filings, and a 17 percent increase in product innovations. However, the data showed that these gains weren’t evenly distributed. Top-performing scientists—those already excelling in their fields—achieved nearly double the productivity of their peers. This discrepancy raised a compelling question: What sets these high performers apart in their use of AI?

The answer seems to lie in a quality that often goes unmeasured in productivity metrics: creativity. While AI undoubtedly streamlines processes and accelerates data analysis, it’s the human ability to think beyond conventional boundaries, adapt dynamically, and generate novel ideas that allows AI to reach its highest potential. For scientists who engage with AI creatively, AI transforms from a tool into a true partner in innovation. Go ahead and read that last sentence again; it’s critical.

Part of human creativity is a quality known as cognitive agility—the ability to adapt thinking patterns, explore new hypotheses, and approach problems from unique perspectives. The top-performing scientists in the study demonstrated an exceptional level of cognitive agility, leveraging AI to enhance their experimental thinking rather than merely automating their workflows. By shifting their approaches based on AI-generated insights, these scientists weren’t just responding to AI suggestions; they were actively shaping them, using AI as an extension of their creative process. [Continue reading…]