The more deeply embedded in AI, the more creative you become? Investigating the pathways linking AI identity and creative deviance

Purpose This study aims to explore how the formation of artificial intelligence (AI) identity impacts employees' creative deviance. Drawing on role theory and the cognitive-affective system theory, it analyzes the pathways and boundary conditions of this influence in the AI-integrated workplace. Design/methodology/approach Using a multi-wave research design, we collected survey data from 379 employees across various industries. The data were analyzed using SPSS to test a dual-path mediation model, examining how creative self-efficacy and AI dependency mediate the AI identity–creative deviance relationship. Post hoc interviews were conducted to provide additional qualitative evidence and insights for future studies. Findings Results reveal that AI identity has competing effects: it enhances creative deviance through increased creative self-efficacy, while suppressing it through heightened AI dependency. Notably, prevention-focused employees experience stronger suppression effects from AI dependency, whereas promotion focus shows no significant moderating effect on the positive pathway. Practical implications The study provides organizations with dual-path management strategies to balance AI adoption and employee innovation, requiring both the cultivation of creative confidence and the prevention of technological overreliance, thereby optimizing human–AI collaborative innovation effectiveness. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature by introducing AI identity as a key psychological construct in the context of AI-driven workplaces. By integrating role identity and cognitive-affective processing system theory, this study elucidates the dual mechanisms through which AI identity affects creative deviance, advancing theoretical understanding. It also identifies regulatory focus as a boundary condition, providing fresh insights into how AI identity shapes employee innovation.