How AI’s Dual Functions Shape Cognitive Pathways to Employee Creativity: The Role of AISelf-Efficacy

Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a mere tool but cognitive counterpart, automating routine tasks while augmenting creative potential. Yet how these contrasting functions shape the cognitive pathways that drive employee creativity remains largely unexplored. Drawing on matched data from 217 employee–supervisor dyads in Korean organizations, we test two moderated mediation models. Specifically, we examine whether automation enhances creativity via free cognitive resources (FCR) and whether augmentation boosts creativity via cognitive flexibility (CF), with AI self-efficacy moderating each pathway. Our findings show that AI used for augmentation significantly increases creativity through enhanced cognitive flexibility, particularly for employees with high AI self-efficacy. In contrast, the automation-FCR-creativity pathway was not supported. These results challenge assumptions of AI as a uniform enhancer of creativity and instead emphasize the strategic importance of aligning AI’s functional roles with human cognitive capacities. By identifying how and for whom AI augments creative performance, this study provides a critical foundation for designing cognitively informed human–AI collaboration systems.