Generative AI and Its Impact on Creative Thinking Abilities in Higher Education Institutions

Abstract

Generative AI technologies such as ChatGPT have started gaining increased popularity among higher education institutions. Students, as well as teaching professionals, can utilize these tools for various academic purposes due to the immense benefits they provide by way of customization of data generated and ease of access to data. However, this chapter seeks to analyze how such tools may impact students' creative thinking ability. It also analyses the drawbacks faced by teachers after implementation of such tools. The methodology adopted for the study was two surveys: one administered to gather students' opinions and the other for understanding teachers' perspectives. The analysis of the data collected shows that the over-reliance of students on such generative AI tools might hinder students' ability to think creatively to some extent. The chapter also suggests some of the strategies that can be adopted by teachers to ensure students' capabilities are assessed accurately.