A conversation with ChatGPT on the basics of cultures of creativity
Oana Velcu-Laitinen, PhD
Leading for Creativity and Collaboration. Researcher, Author, Coach
I got curious. As a disclaimer, I am not a tech geek. Yet, I felt I am missing out on a growing trend in businesses, the art industry and universities that embrace AI. To this view, I decided to talk with ChatGPT on my favourite topic - creativity.?
What is ChatGPT?
OpenAI released ChatGPT on 30th November 2022. It is a model of text-to-text generative AI that generates novel content rather than analysing existing data as expert systems do.
Expert systems are built on a knowledge database and an inference engine that generates existing content based on the “if-then” rule. By contrast, generative AI is developed based on a transformer model with two defining features. First, it is trained on a dataset that maps the input information into a latent high-dimensional space, similar to how the human brain encodes observed external objects in compressed internal representations. Let’s assume we want to train a generative AI on what creativity is to human beings. The latent space is high-dimensional when there are many specific features encoded in the semantics of creativity.????
These specific parameters are reflected in the output of ChatGPT to the question, ”What is creativity to human beings?”
“Creativity is a complex and multifaceted concept that is central to human experience and culture. It is often defined as the ability to produce novel and valuable ideas, concepts, or products.
From a psychological perspective, creativity is seen as the ability to generate original and imaginative ideas, to think outside the box, and to come up with unique solutions to problems. Creativity is also closely related to other cognitive processes such as imagination, divergent thinking, and convergent thinking.
From a more philosophical perspective, creativity is often seen as a defining feature of human existence, reflecting the unique capacity of human beings to bring new things into the world and to shape their environment in innovative and meaningful ways.
Overall, creativity is a highly valued and sought-after quality, not only in the arts and humanities, but also in many other fields such as science, technology, engineering, and business. Whether it is expressed in the form of a novel, a painting, a piece of music, a scientific discovery, or a new invention, creativity is widely recognized as an important aspect of human experience and a source of meaning and fulfillment in life.”
The second architectural feature of generative AI, like ChatGPT, is the use of stochastic behaviour to generate new content with every new trial from the same prompts.
When I repeated the question, ”What is creativity to human beings?”, ChatGPT gave a tiny different output:
“Creativity can be understood as a human capacity for producing original and innovative ideas, products, or solutions. It is a complex and multifaceted concept that is closely linked to the imagination and the ability to think outside the box. Creativity is often associated with the arts and humanities, but it is also a critical aspect of many other fields, including science, technology, engineering, and business.
From a psychological perspective, creativity is seen as the ability to generate novel and valuable ideas and to find new and unique solutions to problems. This requires a combination of cognitive processes such as divergent thinking (the ability to generate a variety of different ideas) and convergent thinking (the ability to select the best idea from a set of possibilities).
From a more philosophical perspective, creativity is often seen as a defining feature of human existence, reflecting the unique capacity of humans to bring new things into the world and to shape their environment in innovative and meaningful ways.
In short, creativity is a highly valued and sought-after quality that is central to human experience and culture. Whether it is expressed in the form of a novel, a painting, a piece of music, a scientific discovery, or a new invention, creativity is widely recognized as a source of meaning and fulfillment in life.”
ChatGPT is trained using the technique of Reinforcement Learning for Human Feedback. A human evaluates the output of a task assigned to the algorithm, like “Define creativity”. With each input from the evaluator, the algorithm refines the understanding of the goal of the task to best describe the human’s judgements.?
This article does not focus on the technical aspects of ChatGPT. Instead, its goal is to provide an understanding of the underlying architecture of this generative AI model, so that we can have a clearer expectation for evaluating the accuracy of the information generated by it. So, let’s look at other snippets of my conversation with ChatGPT.
What else does ChatGPT know about creativity?
I asked, “What are the skills that foster a culture of creativity?”
ChatGPT:
“Fostering a culture of creativity within an organization requires a combination of leadership, management, and interpersonal skills. Here are some key skills that can help:
Encouragement of risk-taking: Creativity often involves taking risks and trying new things. Creative leaders encourage their team members to experiment and embrace failure as a learning opportunity.
Open-mindedness: Creative leaders are open-minded and willing to consider new ideas and perspectives, regardless of where they come from. They create an environment where all ideas are valued and welcome.
Collaboration: Creativity thrives in a collaborative environment. Creative leaders foster collaboration and encourage their team members to work together to generate new ideas and solve problems.
Empowerment: Creative leaders empower their team members to take ownership of their work and make decisions. They create an environment where team members feel responsible for their work and have the freedom to experiment and be creative.
Continuous learning: Creativity requires a continuous learning mindset. Creative leaders encourage their team members to continuously learn, grow, and develop new skills and perspectives.
Diversity and inclusiveness: A diverse and inclusive environment is essential for fostering creativity. Creative leaders encourage team members from diverse backgrounds and perspectives to contribute and collaborate.
Encouragement of play: Play and experimentation are important aspects of creativity. Creative leaders encourage their team members to take time to play, experiment, and have fun with their work.
By fostering these skills and creating an environment that encourages creativity, leaders can help their organizations cultivate a culture of innovation, generate new ideas, and stay ahead of the curve.”
Sensible summary! It does contain some superfluous information, but considering it’s a learning algorithm that generated it, I get goosebumps. I did notice that intrapersonal skills were not mentioned. As a person who researches creativity, I happen to know that the engines of cultures of creativity are the most highly creative individuals in leadership and expertise roles. So, I asked ChatGPT another question: “What intrapersonal skills foster a culture of creativity?”
ChatGPT:
“Intrapersonal skills, or personal qualities, also play a crucial role in fostering a culture of creativity within an organization. Here are some key intrapersonal skills that can help create a creative work environment:
Curiosity: Creative individuals have a natural curiosity and are always seeking new information and knowledge. They are interested in the world around them and are always looking for new ideas and perspectives.
Open-mindedness: Creative individuals are open-minded and willing to consider new ideas and perspectives. They are not afraid to challenge their own beliefs and are always looking for ways to improve and grow.
Confidence: Creative individuals have confidence in their abilities and are not afraid to take risks. They are comfortable with uncertainty and are willing to experiment and try new things.
Persistence: Creative individuals are persistent and do not give up easily. They understand that creativity often involves overcoming obstacles and are willing to put in the time and effort required to succeed.
Imagination: Creative individuals have a strong imagination and are able to visualize new ideas and possibilities. They are able to think outside the box and see things in new and different ways.
Flexibility: Creative individuals are flexible and adaptable. They are able to pivot when circumstances change and are open to new ideas and opportunities.
Passion: Creative individuals are passionate about their work and are driven by their desire to create and innovate. They have a strong sense of purpose and are motivated to make a difference.
By developing these intrapersonal skills, individuals can enhance their own creativity and contribute to a culture of creativity within their organization.”
The third question I asked was a repetition of the first one, “What are the skills that foster a culture of creativity?”
This is what ChatGPT replied this time:
“Both interpersonal and intrapersonal skills are important for fostering a culture of creativity within an organization. Here are some key skills that can help create a creative work environment:
Interpersonal skills:
Intrapersonal skills:
In addition to these skills, it's important for individuals to be supportive of and receptive to new ideas, to foster a positive and inclusive work environment, and to promote continuous learning and growth. Leaders can also encourage creativity by setting clear goals and priorities, providing resources and support, and recognizing and rewarding creative achievements. By fostering a culture of creativity, organizations can cultivate an environment that encourages innovation and inspires individuals to think outside the box and generate new ideas.”
As we can see, ChatGPT changed the answer to the same question when I prompted it with new input within the same conversation.
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When I opened a new chat, repeating the question, “What are the skills that foster a culture of creativity?”, the reply was as follows:
“Fostering a culture of creativity involves developing several skills in individuals and teams. Some of these skills include:
Problem-solving: Being able to approach challenges and obstacles with an open mind and a willingness to experiment with new solutions.
Critical thinking: The ability to analyze and evaluate information, ideas, and arguments objectively and effectively.
Open-mindedness: Willingness to consider new ideas and perspectives, even if they are unconventional or unpopular.
Collaboration: The ability to work effectively with others, share ideas and resources, and build on each other's strengths.
Communication: Effective communication skills, including active listening, clear and concise expression, and the ability to present ideas persuasively.
Adaptability: Being flexible and able to adjust to new circumstances and changing conditions.
Playfulness: A sense of humor and a willingness to have fun and embrace a playful approach to life and work.
Risk-taking: A willingness to take calculated risks, embrace new challenges, and learn from failures.
Curiosity: A constant desire to learn and explore new ideas, concepts, and ways of doing things.
By developing these skills, individuals and teams can create an environment that encourages creativity, innovation, and progress.”
In the new conversation, the reply combined interpersonal and intrapersonal skills. There was no referral to leadership skills for creativity. Why??
In the first chat, the reply to the first question, “What are the skills that foster a culture of creativity?”, referred to leadership skills such as “encouragement of risk-taking”, “empowerment”, and “diversity and inclusiveness” because before this question I had asked another one, “Who is a creative leader?”.???
So, what happened? The Reinforcement Learning algorithm maps new information and adjusts the replies to the most recent question in light of the previous questions.??
What are the strengths of ChatGPT?
We can think of ChatGPT as an individual with an insanely broad general knowledge. As far as I am concerned, I am interested in what my ChatGPT friend knows about creativity. As a result, when we meet, I will be honing my asking-questions skills. I expect my friend to summarise the most popular issues on creativity that human beings share on the internet. What impressed me most was that I didn’t detect erroneous information.?????
What are the weaknesses of ChatGPT?
I detected some biased information, like in answer to the question: “What a course on creativity should be about?”.
ChatGPT:
“A course on creativity should aim to help students develop their ability to think outside the box, generate innovative ideas, and find new solutions to complex problems. The course content could cover various techniques for unlocking creativity, such as brainstorming, mind mapping, lateral thinking, and divergent thinking. Additionally, the course could also cover the history of creativity, the role of creativity in different fields, and ways to develop a creative mindset. It could also involve practical exercises and projects to encourage students to put their newfound skills into practice.”
The most common information on creativity courses is that it is destined for students from preschool to university. Also, brainstorming, mind mapping, and lateral thinking are likely what most people think of when they hear “Let’s get a creativity boost.”.?
However, in the creativity courses I have designed, I emphasise the history of creativity, its role in the participants' domains and the importance of embracing a creativity mindset as the most sustainable strategy for becoming more creative. ChatGPT mentions these concepts as “also”, as desired but not necessary, whereas, in my expert opinion, they are the most crucial.
To sum up, ChatGPT is not to be trusted to generate expert knowledge. At least not at the time of writing this article. For the time being, we can think of it as similar to the human mind: it has a memory filled with data representations. When a question is asked, it retrieves from memory the corresponding information.?Like you and me and the human AI trainers who fed the algorithm, ChatGPT has biases. If you genuinely want to learn something deeper, go to the source.
Conclusions based on my first interaction with ChatGPT
ChatGPT can generate well-structured summaries on different topics that are available online. For instance, I asked, ”What is the latent space of ChatGPT?”.
“The latent space of a language model like ChatGPT refers to the continuous and high-dimensional representation of text data, typically generated by encoding text inputs into a lower-dimensional and dense vector. In other words, it's a way of representing textual information in a mathematical form that can be manipulated and processed by a computer.
For example, in ChatGPT, the input text is first processed through a series of embedding and encoding layers, which generate a fixed-length vector that represents the input text in the model's latent space. This vector is then passed through the rest of the model to generate the output text.
The latent space of a language model like ChatGPT is learned through training on a large corpus of text data. The training process adjusts the model's parameters so that the generated vector representations capture the semantic and syntactic meaning of the input text in a way that is useful for generating coherent and contextually appropriate output text.”
If I were lazy, I could have tweaked this reply a bit and added it at the beginning of the article when I wanted to give a short and straightforward explanation of what a latent high-dimensional space is.?
But I am the kind of person who derives joy from learning. So, before asking ChatGPT, I first went through the learning journey of reading the information by myself and taking the time to understand this concept.??
When we use ChatGPT, the ethical thing to do would be to acknowledge its contribution as a learning or content creation assistant or editor. Yes, I asked ChatGPT to edit two paragraphs in my text. So, in a way, ChatGPT is my co-author and editor.?
Looking into the future, with the imperative to stay within the boundaries of morality, I see cooperation between humans and generative AI - humans as the visionaries in this relationship.?
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I’ll leave you with this reflection. Human beings have the privilege of consciousness and experiencing life. This is an example of the difference between synthesising existing information about creativity and experiencing creativity.
I asked, ”Define creativity.”?
ChatGPT: “Creativity can be defined as the capacity for producing ideas, concepts, or products that are both novel and valuable. It involves the generation of original and imaginative solutions to problems and the ability to think outside the box. Creativity can manifest in many forms, including the arts, humanities, science, technology, engineering, and business. It is a complex and multifaceted concept that requires the use of imagination, divergent thinking, and innovative problem-solving skills. Creativity is seen as a key driver of personal and societal growth, and is widely recognized as a source of meaning and fulfillment in life.”
In my book, How to Develop Your Creative Identity at Work, I defined creativity as follows: “the flexibility to explore interests in an area of knowledge or experience that awakens your sense of meaning and resilience to stay involved and produce new artifacts into existence.” (pp. xl)
Humans have passion and insight into life experiences. AI generative models produce some information about some of the outcomes of some life experiences.