Computational creativity utilizes artificial intelligence (AI) to produce items that were previously thought impossible for a computer. Artificial intelligence (AI) has since moved away from number-crunching to composing poetry, painting masterpieces, and composing symphonies. But is AI creativity better than ours? Or is it merely an advanced mimic?

Human creativity is the capability to generate or identify fresh and valuable concepts, products, or solutions. It is the capacity to create original concepts, resolve problems in unique ways, and communicate through different forms of intellectual and artistic expression. It ranges from making an artistic creation to developing a new technology or creating a new scientific theory. However, AI creativity involves tools that can come up with new ideas, create original content, and even simulate human creativity.

From crafting verse to creating symphonies and even creating paintings that sell for six-figure prices, AI is emerging as an incredibly innovative partner—or opponent—to assist or replace you, depending on your perspective. But is AI truly more creative than we are? Let’s examine.

Is AI creativity better than human creativity? (Image drawn using Copilot)

AI Creativity in Writing… But Does It Get It?

Artificial intelligence writing software such as ChatGPT and others is now writing essays, novels, scripts, and even jokes. They can write in the style of Shakespeare or produce blog posts. Indeed, some books written by AI have already been published on sites such as Amazon.

AI can write well, but it doesn’t have the same understanding of meaning as humans. It doesn’t experience heartbreak while writing a love poem or consider philosophy while writing an essay about death. AI makes predictions about what comes next based on patterns in data. That’s not exactly the same as having a voice or a soul.

Advantages:

• Speed & volume: AI can generate content in seconds.
• No writer’s block: It never runs out of ideas.
• Adaptability: It can switch tones and styles effortlessly.

Drawbacks

• Not really emotional: AI does not feel what it writes.
• Lacks lived experience: It is unable to refer to personal adversity or triumph.
• Occasionally outputs gibberish: Hallucinations and cringe-worthy language still occur.

AI is a great tool, but human writers continue to imbue depth, uniqueness, and soul into writing.

So, whereas AI can certainly write, the question of whether or not it can write better than us is entirely dependent upon your definition of “better.” Do you want speed and grammar? Absolutely. Do you want unadulterated human emotion and original thought? That remains our territory—at least for the time being.

AI Creativity in Painting… Can Even Sell Art

Software such as MidJourney, Stable Diffusion, and DALL·E 3 can produce amazing imagery—from realistic portraits to bizarre dreamscapes. Some have even won competitive contests. People provide inputs in the form of prompts such as “a fox dancing under the moonlight in Van Gogh style,” and out comes an image that could easily be mistaken for a human-created one.

But just like in writing, AI’s art is built from training data—millions of human-made images. It mixes and matches patterns, colors, and styles, but it doesn’t see. AI doesn’t understand why a mother’s smile in a portrait can make us cry or how light and shadow tell a story.

Advantages:

• Limitless imagination: AI can combine styles that people may never have thought of.
• Lightning-fast execution: No years of training are required to create masterpieces.
• Accessibility: Anyone can produce pro-level artwork.

Drawbacks

• Derivative by nature: AI recycles old art instead of creating new styles.
• No intent or meaning: It doesn’t select to convey something deep.
• Ethical concerns: Most artists claim AI learns from their work without paying them.

AI is an amazing tool for prototyping and inspiration, but human artists still dominate originality and emotional depth.

Still, others claim AI art is the latest manifestation of creativity—algorithmic and crowdsourced. It makes us re-examine what constitutes art. Is it the intent of the artist or how it makes us feel?

AI Creativity in Composing… But Can It Feel the Music?

Artificial intelligence is even creating music—pop songs as well as classical symphonies. Aiva and Amper Music are among the companies that enable creators to create original scores for videos and games. Some of the works created by AI are such that the audience cannot differentiate them from human-created ones.

But then again, there’s a catch. AI doesn’t hum a melody in the shower or get goosebumps from a minor chord. It analyzes musical structures and patterns and then generates something new. Beautiful? Often. Meaningful? That’s debatable.

Advantages:

• Endless variations: AI can generate hundreds of compositions in minutes.
• Genre-blending: It can mix classical, jazz, and electronic seamlessly.
• Democratization: Aspiring musicians can use AI to enhance their work.

Drawbacks:

• Lacks emotional intuition: AI does not know why a melancholy tune moves us.
• Repetitive patterns: Most AI music begins to feel formulaic because of its repetitive nature.
• No stage presence: AI can’t be performed live with passion and spontaneity.

AI is an incredible co-composer, but the soul of music remains in human hands.

However, human musicians are beginning to embrace AI as an instrument. Some use AI to create vocals, such as Holly Herndon, while others remix AI works into their compositions. It is not so much a competition and more of a remix culture.

Can AI Creativity Be Better Than Ours?

Here’s the twist: perhaps it’s not a matter of who’s better. Perhaps the question really is, what can we create together?

AI can do the mundane, technical aspects of creative work, leaving us to develop vision, narrative, and feeling. It can inspire new ideas we wouldn’t have dreamed up ourselves. And for those who don’t think they’re “creative,” AI is an equalizing collaborator—assisting them in writing, painting, and composing in ways previously unimaginable. In fact, instead of displacing creativity, AI is widening it.

The Future of AI Creativity Is Collaboration With Human Creativity

We’re standing on the edge of a new artistic renaissance—one powered by algorithms, yes, but still guided by human curiosity and emotion. In this world, creativity isn’t just about talent or training. It’s about conversation—between humans and machines.

So, no, AI may not replace poets, painters, or composers. But it just might become the most fascinating creative partner we’ve ever had.

What’s your opinion? Can AI actually be creative, or is it merely an echo of our creativity? Discuss in the comments.