Introduction

Cultivating creativity and critical thinking is crucial in education. However, traditional educational models often face significant challenges in achieving this goal due to the diverse cognitive styles and backgrounds of students, as well as the inflexibility of curriculum design. However, generative AI may offers innovative tools that can augment the creative processes of students (Nikolopoulou, 2024). For example, tools such as GPT4o and DALL-E have been progressively incorporated into educational contexts to support creative tasks (Doshi & Hauser, 2024). Studies have indicated that generative AI can stimulate creativity by reducing cognitive load and providing diverse inputs that students can build upon (Lee et al., 2020). However, the impact of these tools (e.g., GPT4o, DeepArtEffects, and Midjourney) and students’ attitudes toward AI on their creativity and critical thinking remains a topic of debate.

 Related Studies

AI and Creativity

In educational settings, creativity can be valued as the ability to think outside the box, solve problems in innovative ways, and generate new ideas that could enhance learning and understanding (Moran, 2010). Research has indicated generative AI tools can facilitate collaboration by providing new artistic techniques and styles (Anantrasirichai & Bull, 2022), supporting educators to foster a creative learning environment, and helping students to brainstorm and generate creative academic ideas. For example, Habib et al. (2024) studied students’ creativity in the dimensions of fluency, flexibility, elaboration, and originality. Results revealed that AI could help expand ideas and allow students to think about problems from different angles. However, reliance on AI can also lead to rigid thinking and limit possible creative ideas.

AI and Critical Thinking

Critical thinking compromises independent thinking and analytical thinking. In educational settings, a core goal of practicing critical thinking is to develop well-informed students who can understand significant, useful, beautiful, and powerful ideas (Raj et al., 2022). Research indicated that AI can may enhance critical thinking and problem-solving by supporting metacognitive practices, fostering self-regulated learning, and ultimately leading to improved decision-making outcomes for students (Benvenuti et al., 2023). In Psychology, the development of an individual from a novice to a professional usually needs to have implicit and explicit learning and acquire competencies of critical and creative thinking (Sternberg, 1999). Creativity and critical thinking are interrelated, each enhancing the effectiveness of the other. Together, they form a complementary process where creativity fuels the development of unique approaches, and critical thinking provides the framework for assessing and implementing these ideas effectively (Benvenuti et al., 2023). This synergy is crucial for problem-solving, decision-making, and advancing knowledge in various fields. Moreover, today, creativity and critical thinking are seen as part of “4C essential skills” (creativity, critical thinking, communication, and collaboration) for 21st-century learners and citizens (Wang et al., 2022).

Research Questions

On the other hand, as AI continues to permeate educational environments, it is crucial to understand how these technologies influence students’ attitudes towards AI, as well as how AI could have a potential impact on their creativity and critical thinking abilities. Therefore, based on this inspiration, this study proposed the following research questions (RQs).

RQ1: How does AI training influence students’ AI attitudes?

RQ2: What are the effects of AI training on participants’ creative and critical thinking?

RQ3: Does AI attitude mediate the effect of AI training on creative and critical thinking?

Research Design Participation A total of 86 higher education students who majored in Media Art at a university in China participated in this study. There were 44 female students (Mage = 20.2), 40 male students male (Mage = 20.5), and 2 identified as non-binary (Mage = 20.5). All participants were enrolled in their second year (n = 61) or third year of study (n = 25). Among these students, 89.53% have experience using AI tools, while only 3.49% are not interested in using them. Additionally, 80.23% of the students use AI tools almost every week. Experimental Procedure The intervention was structured into three comprehensive sessions. The first session provided “an introduction to generative AI”, presenting its fundamental principles, history, and current trends. The second session presented “popular applications of generative AI in media art”, showcasing real-world examples, case studies, and innovative projects that illustrate its transformative impact on creative processes. The third session demonstrated an exploration “related AI tools for media art”, including hands-on demonstrations and some case studies. Each session is a 90-minute lesson lasting three weeks. All students were randomly allocated to three groups, Group 1 (experimental group 1, n = 29) was designed to have the generative AI sessions, and use generative AI tools (e.g., GPT-4o, DeepArtEffects, and Midjourney) for development. This group engaged in hands-on activities, exploring various applications of generative AI in media art, and received practical training on using these AI tools to create innovative projects. Group 2 (experimental group 2, n = 28) was designed to have the same generative AI sessions, but not use any generative AI tools for development, they used other digital media tools such as Adobe Photoshop, iMovie, and Canva. Group 3 (control group, n = 29) was designed to have general digital classes, without any introduction of AI training and AI tools. After the three sessions, Group 1 and 2 were asked to use what they learned from the session and related tools to develop a collection of materials for a short animation. Group 3 was asked to do the same development without specific training in AI literacy and generative AI tools.

Our findings echoed studies illustrating that generative AI can be used as a tool to support higher education students for creative work and performance (Ali et al., 2024; Habib et al., 2024), yet students’ creativity may be developed by their study and life interaction with their eco-system. We have not observed that AI could improve or contribute to students’ creativity and/or creative mindset, which against studies that presented generative AI and related tools could contribute to students’ creative competencies (Doshi & Hauser, 2024; Newton & Newton, 2020). Using generative tools can make students’ work easier and/or faster, however, it may not help students to understand how to conceptualize, design, and organize their work. Group 1 students used generative AI tools but not fully rely on them may explain why the effect was still significant but weaker than Group 2’s critical thinking results. Thus, recognizing there are generative AI tools designed to support learning activities in higher education, it is essential to know more about these tools but use them critically to maximize the benefits of generative AI (van den Berg & du Plessis, 2023). According to Dewett (2003), individuals with high creativity often become early adopters who can promote the initial promotion and application of technology. Because they are more likely to have critical insights and application methods, they can influence subsequent adopters (Padget, 2013). In this study, creativity plays an important role in the process of student attitude toward generative AI, which can imply individuals with creativity that help them to be more likely to embrace new technologies (e.g., generative AI and tools), but also more likely to hold a critical attitude to apply new technologies and applications.

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