How Generative AI Can

Augment Human Creativity

Harvard Business Review

56 July–August 2023
 Use it to promote O P E N E R I M AG ES
G E N E R AT E D BY
MIDJOURNEY

divergent thinking.
These images were created
using the prompts light bulb,
A I & M AC H I N E
flower, pastel, geometric LEARNING
shapes, simplicity, clean
lines, and minimal still life.
AU T H O RS

Tojin T.
Eapen
Assistant
professor,
University of
Missouri

Daniel J.
Finkenstadt
Assistant
professor, Naval
Postgraduate
School

Josh Folk
President
of enterprise
solutions,
IdeaScale

Lokesh
Venkataswamy
CEO,
Innomantra

Harvard Business Review

July–August 2023  57
 ABOUT THE ART
All images were created using generative AI.
Pictured on right: The authors prompted Midjourney
to produce an image combining an elephant and a
A I & M AC H I N E butterfly, which they dubbed “phantafly.”
LEARNING

First, efforts to democratize innovation may result in

evaluation overload. Crowdsourcing, for instance, may pro-
duce a flood of ideas, many of which end up being dumped
or disregarded because companies have no efficient way
to evaluate them or merge incomplete or minor ideas that
could prove potent in combination.
Second, companies may fall prey to the curse of expertise.
Domain experts who are best at generating and identifying

There is tremendous appre- feasible ideas often struggle with generating or even accept-
ing novel ideas.

hension about the potential of Third, people who lack domain expertise may identify
novel ideas but may be unable to provide the details that

generative AI—technologies that would make the ideas feasible. They can’t translate messy
ideas into coherent designs.

can create new content such as And finally, companies have trouble seeing the forest
for the trees. Organizations focus on synthesizing a host of

audio, text, images, and video— customer requirements but struggle to produce a compre-
hensive solution that will appeal to the community at large.

to replace people in many jobs. Our research and our experience working with compa-
nies, academic institutions, governments, and militaries

But one of the biggest oppor- on hundreds of innovation efforts—some with and some
without the use of generative AI—have demonstrated that

tunities generative AI offers to this technology can help organizations overcome these
challenges. It can augment the creativity of employees and
customers and help them generate and identify novel ideas—
businesses and governments and improve the quality of raw ideas. We have observed the
following five ways.
is to augment human creativity
and overcome the challenges
1 
PROMOTE DIVERGENT THINKING
Generative AI can support divergent thinking by making
of democratizing innovation. associations among remote concepts and producing
ideas drawn from them. Here’s an example of how we
The term “democratizing innovation” was coined by used Midjourney, a text-to-image algorithm that can detect
MIT’s Eric von Hippel, who, since the mid-1970s, has been analogical resemblances between images, to generate novel
researching and writing about the potential for users of product designs based on textual prompts from a human.
products and services to develop what they need themselves (We utilized Midjourney, ChatGPT, and Stable Diffusion for
rather than simply relying on companies to do so. In the past the examples in this article, but they are just a few of a host of
two decades or so, the notion of deeply involving users in the generative AI tools that are now available.) We asked Midjour-
innovation process has taken off, and today companies use ney to create an image that combined an elephant and a but-
crowdsourcing and innovation contests to generate a multi- terfly, and it produced the chimera we dubbed “phantafly.”
tude of new ideas. However, many enterprises struggle to We then used the detailed rendering from Midjourney
capitalize on these contributions because of four challenges. to inspire prompts in Stable Diffusion, another popular

Harvard Business Review

58 July–August 2023
 THE PROBLEM THE ROOT CAUSES THE SOLUTION
In the past two decades, companies’ A lack of an efficient way to evaluate Generative AI can help overcome
efforts to involve outsiders in the pro- the ideas, domain experts’ struggles these challenges. It can aug-
IDEA cess of coming up with new offerings in accepting novel ideas, the inability ment the creativity of employees
IN
have taken off. Crowdsourcing and idea of contributors to provide details and customers and help them
BRIEF
competitions are two prime examples. needed to make their ideas feasible, generate and identify novel ideas
But firms still struggle to make use of and the challenge of synthesizing as well as improve the quality of
the plethora of ideas that are generated. different ideas are all factors. raw ideas.

Harvard Business Review

July–August 2023  59
text-to-image model. Stable Diffusion generated a range of could target busy professionals and families who want
ideas for different product categories, including chairs and convenient and healthy meal options without sacrificing
artisanal chocolate candies (see images above). taste and quality.”
Rapidly and inexpensively producing a plethora of In a separate round, ChatGPT produced the nouns “air-
designs in this way allows a company to evaluate a wide line” and “chair.” When prompted, we provided “university,”
range of product concepts quickly. For example, a clothing and ChatGPT came up with a business concept that provides
company that uses generative AI to create new designs for a convenient, cost-effective way for students and academics
T-shirts could stay on top of trends and offer a constantly to travel to conferences and workshops around the world
changing selection of products to customers. along with access to a library of educational books during
Consider another example of how this technology can the flight. It proposed that the company be called Fly and
connect ideas to create concepts that an individual or a Study or Edu-Fly.
team might never have come up with themselves. We used
ChatGPT, a type of generative AI known as a large language

2 
model, to guide the production of ideas. We asked it to CHALLENGE EXPERTISE BIAS
generate ideas through a process of trisociation by connect- During the early stages of new-product development,
ing three distinct entities (an extension of the bisociation atypical designs created by generative AI can inspire
creativity technique). Our team gave ChatGPT the following designers to think beyond their preconceptions of
prompt: “You will play the role of an ideator. You will ran- what is possible or desirable in a product in terms of both
domly generate 10 common nouns. You will then randomly form and function. This approach can lead to solutions that
select any two of the 10 nouns. You will then ask me for a humans might never have imagined using a traditional
third noun. You will generate a business idea by combining approach, where the functions are determined first and
or associating the two nouns you identified and the noun the form is then designed to accommodate them. These
I identified.” inputs can help overcome biases such as design fixation (an
ChatGPT generated the nouns “food” and “technology.” overreliance on standard design forms), functional fixedness
When prompted, we provided the additional noun “car.” (a lack of ability to imagine a use beyond the traditional
ChatGPT produced the following business idea in short one), and the Einstellung effect, where individuals’ previous
order: “A smart food-delivery service that uses self-driving experiences impede them from considering new ways to
cars to transport meals to customers. The technology aspect solve problems.
could involve using AI to optimize delivery routes, track Here’s an example of this process. We asked Stable
food temperature in real time, and provide customers with Diffusion to generate generic designs of crab-inspired toys
real-time updates on the status of their orders. The service but provided it with no functional specifications. Then we

Harvard Business Review

60 July–August 2023
 From left to right: The authors prompted
Stable Diffusion to generate designs for
chairs and for artisanal chocolates inspired
by “phantafly.” In a separate exercise, they
asked Stable Diffusion to come up with
crab-inspired toy concepts. A I & M AC H I N E
LEARNING

When ChatGPT evaluated the concept of dynamic

expiration-date packaging, for instance, it determined that
it would help consumers better understand the shelf life
of products and encourage food manufacturers to produce
smaller batches that would be replenished more frequently
on grocery shelves. In addition, ChatGPT pointed out that
dynamic expiration dates may require significant changes
to the manufacturing and packaging process and as a
result, could increase the costs to both manufacturers and
consumers.
ChatGPT determined that the food-donation app could
encourage people to use up their food before it goes bad and
imagined functional capabilities after seeing the designs. reduce food waste by giving unopened, edible food to those
For instance, in the collection of crab-inspired toys shown in need. It cautioned that the app may require a large user
above, the image in the top left could be developed into a base to be effective and that the transportation and distribu-
wall-climbing toy; the image next to it could be a toy that tion of food from a wide variety of unregulated sources could
launches a small ball across a room. The crab on a plate pose safety concerns.
near the center could become a slow-feeder dish for pets. It stated that the pros of an education program for con-
This is not a completely novel way to come up with sumers were increasing consumer awareness of the mean-
unusual products: Much of the architecture and ride func- ing of different expiration labels and helping them make
tionality in theme parks such as Disney World has been more-informed decisions about food purchases and waste.
driven by a desire to re-create scenes and characters from But ChatGTP warned that this education program could be
a story. But generative AI tools can help jump-start a com- overly complex because expiration dates are not standard-
pany’s imaginative designs. ized across all food products. And it cautioned that educat-
ing users on different types of expiration dates can be costly
if the program is broad in scope, particularly if it involves

3 
ASSIST IN IDEA EVALUATION widespread campaigns or educational materials.
Generative AI tools can assist in other aspects of Generative AI can go beyond simple pros and cons and
the front end of innovation, including by increas- help humans evaluate dimensions of creativity such as
ing the specificity of ideas and by evaluating ideas novelty, feasibility, specificity, impact, and workability. We
and sometimes combining them. Consider an innovation asked ChatGPT to assess the same examples using these
challenge where the goal is to identify ways to minimize criteria.
food waste. ChatGPT assessed the pros and cons of three
raw ideas: (1) packaging with dynamic expiration dates Here is its assessment of the dynamic expiration-date
(labels that automatically change either the dates or colors packaging concept:
based on the environmental conditions in the places where Novelty: Somewhat novel. There have been efforts to
they are stored); (2) an app to help users donate food; and develop smart packaging that can extend the shelf life of
(3) a campaign to educate people on types of expiration dates food products, but the idea of dynamic expiration dates
and what they represent in terms of freshness and fitness is an emerging concept.
for use. ChatGPT produced a balanced analysis of the pros Feasibility: May be challenging to implement as it
and cons that mirrored what we might expect from an requires the development of new packaging materials and
exchange between two interested persons discussing the technologies. It would also require collaboration with food
merits of such ideas. manufacturers, regulators, and distributors.

Harvard Business Review

July–August 2023  61
 A Impact: Potentially significant. Educating consumers on
the different expiration dates and how to properly store food
will make them more mindful of food waste and take steps
to reduce it.
Workability: Highly workable and can be implemented at
A I & M AC H I N E a relatively low cost. It would require collaboration with food
LEARNING
industry groups, government agencies, and other organiza-
tions to develop and distribute educational materials.
D E F
Specificity: It’s specific in that it addresses the problem Using ChatGPT’s assessments, it would be relatively easy
of food waste by providing consumers with more-accurate to evaluate these three concepts, or quickly score or organize
expiration dates for their food. them based on the criteria that matter most.
Impact: Could have a significant impact on reducing
food waste and improving food safety. When provided with

4 
more-accurate expiration dates, consumers would be more SUPPORT IDEA REFINEMENT
likely to use their food before it goes bad. Generative AI tools can solve an important challenge
Workability: It would most likely require significant faced in idea contests: combining or merging a large
resources and expertise to develop and implement and may number of ideas to produce much stronger ones. For
take several years to fully realize its potential. example, an organization that is trying to win a contract or
a grant to develop a food-waste-reduction program can use
Here is ChatGPT’s assessment of the app for donating the tools to combine the three concepts discussed earlier.
food close to expiration: We did this in two steps. First, we asked ChatGPT to flesh out
Novelty: Not particularly novel. There are already many each of the concepts:
programs and organizations dedicated to reducing food 1. “Dynamic expiration dates are a solution aimed at
waste and donating surplus food to those in need. reducing food waste. This involves incorporating technology
Feasibility: Highly feasible. There are many established into packaging that can track and adjust the shelf life of
models and an infrastructure in place to support food dona- products in real time. By using sensors, the expiration date
tion efforts. can be updated based on changes in environmental factors,
Specificity: Specific in its aim to reduce food waste and providing consumers with a more accurate estimate of when
address issues of food insecurity. a product will go bad.”
Impact: Has the potential to make a significant impact 2. “An app that enables consumers to donate food close
as it addresses both food waste and hunger. By redirect- to its expiration date aims to reduce food waste by giving
ing surplus food to those in need, it can help reduce food unopened, edible food to those in need. The app connects
waste while also improving food security for vulnerable individuals who have surplus food to local organizations
populations. that can use it. By using technology to facilitate food dona-
Workability: Highly workable in that it can be imple- tions, the app can help reduce food waste and provide for
mented quickly and at a relatively low cost. It would require those in need.”
partnerships with food manufacturers, distributors, and 3. “Educating users on the different types of expira-
food banks, as well as volunteers to collect and distribute the tion dates can help users make informed decisions about
donated food. purchasing and consuming food, reducing waste, and saving
money. By clarifying the meaning of ‘best before,’ ‘use by,’
Finally, here is how ChatGPT evaluated the idea to edu- and other expiration labels, an education campaign can help
cate users on different types of expiration dates: users better understand how to determine if food is safe to
Novelty: Not particularly novel. There have been efforts eat and when it is time to dispose of it.”
to educate consumers on the meaning of expiration dates Next we asked ChatGPT to merge all three ideas into one
and how to properly store food to extend its shelf life. food-waste program. In short order it produced the follow-
Feasibility: Highly feasible. It can be implemented ing description: “The comprehensive food-waste-reduction
through various means, such as public awareness cam- solution involves creating smart packaging with dynamic
paigns, educational materials, and media outreach. expiration dates, establishing a program for donating
Specificity: Specific in its aim to educate consumers on surplus food, and educating the public on the importance
the different expiration dates and how to properly store of understanding food expiration dates. The smart packag-
food to reduce food waste. ing helps consumers make informed decisions about food

Harvard Business Review

62 July–August 2023
 Generative AI tools can solve an important challenge faced in idea contests:
combining or merging a large number of ideas to produce much stronger ones.

freshness, the donation program ensures surplus food is

put to good use, and education raises awareness about
the impact of food waste. This solution has the potential
to significantly reduce food waste and create a more
sustainable future by empowering consumers, working
with industry and government, and making better use of
surplus food.”

FACILITATE COLLABORATION WITH

5  AND AMONG USERS

When developing new product ideas or designs,
generative AI can facilitate collaborations between
a company’s designers and users of a prospective product
and among users themselves. In other words, the tech-
nology makes co-creation of new offerings much easier
and less expensive. For example, a business can give users
access to tools to generate designs and then create a per-
sonalized version of the product based on the customer’s
preferences. Alternatively, users’ designs could be posted
on a crowdsourcing platform where they are evaluated
by the community. The top designs could then be further
developed by additional collaborators.
To illustrate the potential, we show how a flying car—
something people have been trying to develop for more
than 100 years without much success—might be designed.
We gave Stable Diffusion this prompt: “Design a product
that can fly but also drive on the road, a flying automobile.”
Stable Diffusion generated several designs, and we selected
what we considered to be the most promising one: the vehi-
cle in the lower right corner of the top collage.
Then we asked Stable Diffusion to take that design and
reimagine the concept so that the car “resembles a robot
eagle.” The second collage shows the variations that the
generative AI program quickly produced—from the top left
design that looks most like a robot eagle to the more feasible
concept of a flying automobile in the lower right corner.
A second example illustrates how designers can use
such tools to collaborate on thematic variations of a struc-
From top to bottom: The authors asked Stable Diffusion to design a flying
tural design. They began with a flying-automobile design
automobile. Then they chose one of those designs and asked Stable
Diffusion to reimagine it to resemble a robot eagle. The bottom image is
generated by AI and asked the tool to produce versions that
another AI-generated concept of a flying car, with versions that resemble resembled a dragonfly, a tiger, a tortoise, and an eagle (see
a dragonfly, a tiger, a tortoise, and an eagle. bottom collage).

Harvard Business Review

July–August 2023  63
 Generative AI’s greatest potential is not replacing humans; it is to assist
humans in their efforts to create hitherto unimaginable solutions.
A I & M AC H I N E
LEARNING

An alternate approach is for human collaborators to use

a tool like ChatGPT to develop details of the product and
then use one like Stable Diffusion to obtain visual designs
based on a series of prompts that build upon one another.
We gave ChatGPT a similar prompt to what we had given to
Stable Diffusion: “Describe a product that can fly but also
drive on the road, a flying automobile.”
ChatGPT provided this description: “The flying automo-
bile is a sleek and futuristic vehicle that is built for the ulti-
mate adventure. It has the appearance of a stylish sports car
with smooth curves and polished exterior but with hidden
rotors that allow it to take flight.”
When we gave that description to Stable Diffusion, it pro-
vided the top image. Next we asked ChatGPT to reimagine
the description to include the information that the product
must resemble a dragonfly and have illumination markers
for flying at night. It came back with the following: “With its
slender body, extended wings, and hidden rotors, the vehicle
is reminiscent of a dragonfly come to life. The illuminated
markers located along the wings and body create a stunning
visual effect, helping to make the vehicle visible in the
darkness.”
Stable Diffusion translated that description into various
versions that maintained the feasible design and added ele-
ments of illumination based on the pattern of a dragonfly’s
wings. The images below the original design are examples.

creativity. However, the chal-

H UM A N S H AV E B O U N D L E S S
lenge of communicating their concepts in written or visual
form restricts vast numbers of people from contributing new From top to bottom: The authors used ChatGPT to describe a flying
ideas. Generative AI can remove this obstacle. As with any automobile and asked Stable Diffusion to generate a design from that
description. They repeated the process to produce variations on the
truly innovative capability, there will undoubtedly be resis-
design that incorporate dragonfly details and illumination.
tance to it. Long-standing innovation processes will have to
change. People with vested interests in the old way of doing
things—especially those worried about being rendered TOJIN T. EAPEN is an assistant professor at the Robert J.
obsolete—will resist. But the advantages—the opportunities Trulaske Sr. College of Business at the University of Missouri
to dramatically increase the number and novelty of ideas and a principal consultant at Innomantra. DANIEL J. FINKENSTADT
from both inside and outside the organization—will make is an assistant professor of defense management at the Naval
Postgraduate School, in Monterey, California, and a principal of the
the journey worthwhile. Generative AI’s greatest potential
advisory firm Wolf Stake Consulting. JOSH FOLK is a cofounder
is not replacing humans; it is to assist humans in their indi-
and the president of enterprise solutions at IdeaScale, a cloud-
vidual and collective efforts to create hitherto unimaginable based innovation-software platform. LOKESH VENKATASWAMY is
solutions. It can truly democratize innovation. the CEO and managing director of Innomantra, an innovation and
HBR Reprint R2304C intellectual-property consulting firm in Bengaluru, India.

Harvard Business Review

64 July–August 2023