Why am I willing to collaborate with AI? Exploring the desire for collaboration in human-AI hybrid group brainstorming

Purpose Human-artificial intelligence (AI) collaboration, as a new form of cooperative interaction, has been applied in brainstorming activities. This study aims to explore the impact of performance-reward expectancy (PRE) and creative motivation (CM), along with the search for ideas in associative memory (SIAM) theory, on participants' AI collaboration intent (AICI). Design/methodology/approach The research employs an online survey targeting users with brainstorming experience. Structural equation modeling (SEM) is applied to analyze the data and validate the proposed hypotheses. Findings PRE shows a positive correlation with both intrinsic motivation (IM) and extrinsic motivation (EM). Furthermore, EM significantly and positively influences AICI, while IM has a negative significant effect. Additionally, the study confirms the mediating role of social inhibition (SI) between EM and AICI. Research limitations/implications This study examines the intent to collaborate with AI in brainstorming, filling a gap in existing research. It integrates SIAM theory to analyze how performance rewards and creative motivation influence this intent. Findings reveal that performance-based rewards effectively motivate creative engagement, but high intrinsic motivation may lead to lower intent to collaborate due to autonomy concerns and trust issues. The study emphasizes the need for an open environment and offers practical insights for fostering AI collaboration while addressing challenges like social inhibition and resistance among participants. Practical implications This study provides practical insights for creative teams and individuals, emphasizing the importance of integrating AI in brainstorming to unlock its full potential. While performance rewards are effective, social inhibition may still lead participants to have negative attitudes toward AI collaboration. Creating an open and inclusive environment is essential. Additionally, the “individual + AI” model may provoke resistance among highly intrinsically motivated participants, necessitating training and improved AI transparency to build trust. Although focused on the Chinese market, the findings are applicable globally, highlighting the need to explore effective AI integration methods for innovation. Social implications Our study found that PRE can positively influence intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in creative activities. This finding provides new evidence for our understanding of the role of performance-reward mechanisms in stimulating creativity. At the same time, we also explored how factors such as social inhibition and production blocking can affect individuals’ willingness to work with AI by influencing creativity motivation. This provides new insights to better understand how AI in teams affects individual psychology and team dynamics. These findings not only enrich our understanding of innovation and teamwork but also provide valuable references and directions for future research. Originality/value This study systematically examines the influence of PRE on CM within the context of AI-assisted brainstorming for the first time. It further investigates how SIAM theory regulates this process and ultimately shapes participants' willingness to engage in AI collaboration. The findings offer theoretical and practical guidance on designing incentive mechanisms to enhance engagement in AI-supported brainstorming and provide new perspectives on the application of AI in team innovation activities.