Toward Human-AI Co-Creativity? An Exploration of Early Adopters’ Perspectives and Experiences with GenAI in the Creative Industries

This study investigates the evolving dynamics of human-AI co-creativity in the context of creative industries, focusing on the mutual shaping of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) systems and their users. Through 30 in-depth semi-structured interviews with early adopters in Italy, we explore the socio-technical practices, perceptions, and challenges associated with integrating GenAI tools into creative workflows. Our findings reveal an unprecedented level of interpretative flexibility in how creatives appropriate these technologies, with each user developing unique relationships and co-creation processes with AI. We identify diverse interpretations of GenAI’s role, ranging from autonomous creator to supportive tool, and highlight the opportunities and concerns surrounding its adoption. The study demonstrates that the extreme differentiation in socio-technical practices may be a defining characteristic of AI in creative contexts, potentially leading to novel interpretative frameworks and emergent properties. This research contributes to our understanding of the complex interplay between human creativity and artificial intelligence, offering insights into the future landscape of cultural production in an AI-augmented world.