Struggle Premium : How Human Effort and Imperfection Drive Perceived Value in the Age of AI

TL;DR

This study explores how visible human effort cues influence perceptions of authenticity and value in both human- and AI-generated creative works, highlighting the importance of transparency.

Contribution

It extends the effort heuristic to AI-generated content, showing effort cues impact perceived value and authenticity in creative evaluations.

Findings

Process videos and time spent strongly influence authenticity judgments.

Participants prefer human-made works and are willing to pay more for them.

Effort cues also enhance perceptions of AI-generated content.

Abstract

As AI enters creative practice, audiences face growing uncertainty in judging authenticity and value. This study examines the Struggle Premium, the added value attributed to perceived human effort, by analyzing how visible effort cues influence evaluations of human- and AI-generated creative works. We surveyed 70 university students, focusing on process videos, time documentation, written explanations, and imperfections. Process-oriented cues, especially videos and time spent, most strongly shaped authenticity and value judgments, while imperfections had limited impact. Participants showed a clear preference for human-made works, with 72.9% willing to pay more. Notably, effort cues also improved perceptions of AI-generated content, suggesting that process transparency can partially bridge authenticity gaps. These findings extend the effort heuristic to algorithmic creativity and inform the design of transparent human-AI creative systems.