Abstract: In the era of AI, generative AI is accelerating the shift in knowledge production from networked modes toward human-AI collaboration, and it is exhibiting strong application potential in domains such as idea generation. Drawing on three sets of experiments, this study systematically investigates the mechanisms through which AI literacy affects creativity, focusing on creativity type, task complexity, and self-perceived expertise. The study found that creative self-efficacy plays a mediating role in the process of AI literacy enhancing individual creativity, and that self-perceived expertise has a positive moderating effect between AI literacy and creative self-efficacy. Specifically, AI literacy significantly promotes incremental creativity, with a more pronounced effect when task complexity is higher; however, the impact of AI literacy on radical creativity is not significant. This study theoretically deepens the understanding of the mechanism by which AI literacy influences creativity, and practically provides concrete references for optimizing task configuration and improving the capabilities of creators.

Key words: Human-AI interaction, AI literacy, Creativity, Human-AI collaboration, Originality