An Exploration of Mental Models of AI in Human–AI Co-Creativity: A Framework and Insights

As AI becomes increasingly prevalent in creative domains, it is imperative to understand users’ mental models of AI in human–AI co-creation as mental models shape user experiences. Additionally, gaining insights into users’ mental models is essential for the development of human-centered co-creative AI. This article introduces a framework for exploring users’ mental models of co-creative AI. Using a large-scale study (n = 155), we explore mental models of two existing AI systems, ChatGPT and Stable Diffusion, in co-creation contexts. Participants engaged in creative tasks with both AI and completed surveys, revealing insights into mental models and their associations with demographic factors and users’ ethical stances. The results highlight the major types and patterns of mental models of AI in co-creative contexts. Findings also reveal that individuals with expertise in AI typically have Partnership-oriented mental models of co-creative AI, while those lacking AI literacy tend to have more Tool-oriented mental models. Furthermore, individuals with Partnership-oriented mental models usually have a positive ethical perspective toward anthropomorphism in AI, data collection by AI, and AI’s societal impact. Additionally, results highlight that conversational co-creative AI is generally perceived as a collaborator, whereas non-conversational AI is typically viewed as a tool.