Material for Thought: Generative AI as an Active Creative Medium

TL;DR

This paper redefines human-AI collaboration in creative tasks by framing generative AI as an active medium, emphasizing human roles in shaping and curating rather than just evaluating AI outputs.

Contribution

It introduces the SOSS framework and a creative writing tool, Loom, to promote active human engagement in AI-assisted creative processes.

Findings

Humans can effectively shape AI-generated narratives using the SOSS framework.

The Loom tool demonstrates active human participation enhances creative quality.

Reflective practice supports sustained creativity in human-AI collaboration.

Abstract

Human-AI collaboration research has largely positioned the human as a judge of AI output, centering effort on evaluating whether rec- ommendations are reliable enough to accept. This decision-support framing leaves little room for the human as creator. We argue that for creative work, this framing misdirects human effort toward eval- uating correctness rather than exploring and shaping the creative space. Drawing on Sch\"on's theory of reflective practice, we propose an alternative: treating generative AI as an active creative medium. As a potter works with clay, humans Shape, Observe, Stir, and Se- lect (SOSS) their medium through ongoing conversation. Where generative AI actively tends toward convergence and resolution, the human role of disruption and curation becomes essential for sustaining creative quality. We present a creative writing probe, Loom, in which users orchestrate simulated narrative agents. We also introduce the SOSS framework for this mode of engagement, and discuss design implications.