Study Reveals AI Cannot Substitute Human Creativity: Insights From ZDNet

MirageC/Getty Images

The relatively swift adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) across industries has shaken up the job market. College students and recent grads are trying to navigate the fast changes as much as mid- and late-career professionals. A new report from Canva examines how schools can best prepare students for the shift – namely by emphasizing creativity.

Canva’s 2024 Creativity in Education report found that creativity is “crucial for career success,” according to both recent graduates and hiring managers. Recent graduates ranked creativity as the top most valuable skill to learn in college.

Via The Harris Poll, Canva surveyed 3,066 “educators, recent college graduates, and hiring managers” in the US, UK, and Australia about how valued creativity is across education and workplaces. The report defines creativity as “the ability to use your imagination to express yourself or your ideas, solve problems, or create something new,” adding that thinking outside the box and connecting concepts are key components.

Also: College students: This new AI tool could make doing the reading easier

“Creativity in education is becoming increasingly important as AI and other technologies reshape the skills demanded in the workforce,” the report states. “With AI automating many routine tasks, uniquely human skills like creativity are now more crucial than ever.”

Newsletters

ZDNET Tech Today

ZDNET’s Tech Today newsletter is a daily briefing of the newest, most talked about stories, five days a week.

See all

As many as 80% of the recent graduates surveyed credited feeling successful in their current job to their creativity. Respondents cited designing original marketing campaigns, personalizing customer services, and optimizing processes as examples of how creativity has served them well in the workforce.

The report emphasizes that, beyond self-expression, creativity helps foster innovation skills and problem-solving, both of which prepare students to adapt to evolving conditions in any career.

Also: Enterprises double their generative AI deployment efforts, Bloomberg survey says

However, not every student has the tools they need. The study found that while 69% of recent graduates feel prepared by their education to enter the workforce, only 56% of hiring managers and 38% of educators agree, especially for creativity and design.

That gap could be filled by encouraging creativity as a valuable skill in school, Canva suggests – and the overwhelming majority (over 80%) of graduates, hiring managers, and educators agree. However, 34% of educators reported that their current curriculum lacks creativity. Just over a third (36%) cite a lack of time as a roadblock to providing their students with creative opportunities, while 32% say limited funding and resources are also problems.

Also: College grads with AI experience attract employers from every job sector

Still, the potential for change exists: 62% of educators have seen creativity increase among students in recent years, and believe students are more engaged when working on creative tasks, especially in the UK and Australia.

Screenshot by Radhika Rajkumar/ZDNET

Canva’s report points to the growing importance of what Carly Daff, head of teams and education at the company, calls the “human touch.”

“This research underscores that while technology can automate a huge range of tasks in both the classroom and the workplace, it can’t fully replicate the unique creative thinking that drives innovation,” she said.

“As we think about the future, we need to ensure our education systems prepare students not just with technical skills but with the creativity and problem-solving abilities that will set them apart in the workforce.”

Also: 5 ways college students can use Gemini AI to keep up with school work

As many as 85% of hiring managers think AI’s ascent will promote creativity, and most individuals surveyed believe AI to be a learnable skill, especially when taught in elementary school.

The research suggests that if creativity can be taught, there’s room for educational institutions to nurture it more directly, preparing students for the workforce – especially for “roles in marketing, product design, research and development, and management.”

So what does teaching creativity look like for educators?

“In the classroom, creativity is encouraged through project-based learning, collaborative assignments, and innovative problem-solving activities,” the report explains. “These methods help students develop their creative skills by working on real-world problems and exploring new ideas.”

Also: A third of all generative AI projects will be abandoned, says Gartner

“We aren’t born more or less creative than others,” said Kristina Holzweiss, a high school ed tech librarian. “Students who are encouraged to share stories are more likely to develop confidence in their writing, self-awareness of their voices, and curiosity to explore different perspectives.”

AI could even have a role in that change. The report mentions how the technology can support creative skill-building by automating busywork and freeing up time. Plus, according to Canva’s study on AI in education , 78% of teachers are interested in bringing AI into their classrooms. The company reports that as of July 2024, “teacher usage of Canva’s AI tools has more than doubled” in the last year, with a 109% increase in Magic Write specifically since January.

Canva offers several AI tools to support creative education, including Canva for Education and Canva for Campus .