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arXiv · 2601.15797

Creativity Reconsidered: Generative AI and the Problem of Intentional Agency

James S. Pearson·Matthew J. Dennis·Marc Cheong
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Abstract

Many theorists maintain that conscious intentional agency is a necessary condition of creativity. We argue that this requirement, which we call the Intentional Agency Condition (IAC), should be abandoned. We motivate this by highlighting the problems this criterion encounters in the face of recent advances in generative AI, which is ostensibly creative despite being incapable of intentional agency. We present two corpus analyses to illustrate the rapidly increasing tendency of people to predicate creativity to generative AI. In response to this predicament, theorists of creativity have proposed a range of conflicting solutions, which we critically evaluate. We find that none of these satisfyingly resolves the initial predicament, and we therefore propose a novel approach. Our claim is that ascriptions of creativity are dependent on what we call creative ability. This solution explains why intentional agency is important for judgements of creativity, without being a necessary condition. Our approach thereby accommodates AI creativity without dismissing the intuition that perceived intentions are of key importance for ascriptions of creativity.

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James S. Pearson, Matthew J. Dennis, Marc Cheong. 2026-01-22. Creativity Reconsidered: Generative AI and the Problem of Intentional Agency. https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.15797

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