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Concerns about automation are pushing workers to rethink which skills will help them stay employable, with many turning to creativity as a reliable career asset.
A study published in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin found that people who perceive automation as a threat to job security consistently place higher value on creativity. According to the researchers, “When people feel that their jobs are threatened by automation or AI, they start to emphasize their creativity more, especially in contexts like job applications.”
The study, led by Monica Gamez-Djokic of Purdue University, sought to explore how psychological responses to AI shape workers’ preparation strategies.
“We were interested in how people are psychologically responding to the rapid rise of automation and AI,” said Gamez-Djokic. “We wanted to know: how do people adapt to this threat?”
Automation anxiety changes career planning
Across nine studies involving more than 2,300 participants, individuals exposed to automation threats emphasized creative skills more often than those told that their competition came from foreign labor. In one experiment, participants drafted hypothetical cover letters. Those that warned of automation emphasized creative skills more frequently than technical or social ones.
In another study, science and engineering students exposed to automation threats chose creative training courses over technical options. Graphic designers followed a similar pattern.
“Importantly, this shift wasn’t just about self-presentation,” said Gamez-Djokic. “People also showed more interest in pursuing education or training related to creative skills.”
Participants were also more likely to choose potential employers that promoted a culture of creativity rather than analytical rigor when primed to think about automation. Gamez-Djokic noted: “Participants seemed to ‘default’ to emphasizing technical skills unless they were prompted to think about automation.”
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Creativity viewed as vital, even in technical fields
Even when presented with generative AI’s creative capabilities, participants continued to highlight human creativity as a valuable skill.
“This suggests a strong belief in the enduring value of human creativity, even in domains where machines are now competitive,” the study found.
The research also showed that while creative skills were consistently elevated, social abilities like collaboration and communication were not.
“This suggests that people don’t simply value whatever they think AI can’t do,” Gamez-Djokic said. “Creativity is seen not just as uniquely human, but as increasingly essential in a tech-driven future.”
While the findings were consistent, researchers noted that most participants were college-educated Americans and that the scenarios were hypothetical. Gamez-Djokic concluded: “Our studies focused on perceptions - how people feel about their skills and job prospects when imagining a world shaped by AI - not on actual job outcomes.”
