Bridging the Creativity Gap: Neurocomputational Limits of Artificial Intelligence Compared to Human Imagination

This research paper explores the cognitive and computational boundaries that separate human imagination from artificial intelligence. It introduces a tripartite framework—neurological, computational, and phenomenological—to define the "creativity gap" between biological and machine systems. Drawing from neuroscience, AI architecture, and consciousness theory, the study analyzes how multisensory memory integration, emotional salience, and conceptual blending contribute to human originality, while current AI systems remain limited by data-driven models and architectural constraints. The work also examines emerging technologies like neuromorphic computing and embodied cognition, and presents comparative metrics of originality across domains. This preprint aims to stimulate further research on bridging creativity disparities through interdisciplinary innovation.