On the Creativity of Large Language Models

Giorgio Franceschelli, Mirco Musolesi

Published 2023-03-27Version 1

Large Language Models (LLMs) are revolutionizing several areas of Artificial Intelligence. One of the most remarkable applications is creative writing, e.g., poetry or storytelling: the generated outputs are often of astonishing quality. However, a natural question arise: can LLMs really be considered creative? In this article we firstly analyze the development of LLMs under the lens of creativity theories, investigating the key open questions and challenges. Then, we identify a set of "easy" and "hard" problems in machine creativity, discussing them in relation to LLMs. Finally, we analyze the societal impact of these technologies with a particular focus on the creative industries.