miami, February 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — As Hollywood celebrates creativity with the Oscars, new research from the Florida International University School of Business suggests that how a creative work is made may be just as important as the final product, especially when artificial intelligence is involved.
Generative AI is now commonly used in creative fields such as marketing and music, but recent research shows Academy of Management Discovery It turns out that creators who publish using AI face negative judgment, regardless of their pre-existing reputation.
The study, conducted by Joel Carnevale, assistant professor of management at FIU Business, in collaboration with researchers at Syracuse University, sought to determine whether a good reputation protects creators from criticism when they use AI.
The answer is, no.
In one experiment, participants rated video game soundtracks. Everyone heard the same song, but the composer’s description was different.
Some said the work was written by Hans Zimmer, the Oscar-winning composer of the Inception, Dune, and The Dark Knight trilogies. Others were told that the same music was from a college freshman with no professional status. In half of the scenarios, participants were also told that the composition was created “in collaboration with an AI.”
Although Zimmer’s name was used to refer to the famous composer in the study, Zimmer has previously said that he personally does not intend to use AI to compose music.
“Whether the composer is Hans Zimmer or a student just starting his studies, disclosing the use of AI will lead to more negative reviews,” Carnevale said.
Once the use of AI was revealed, reputation and creative ability suffered significantly. Even the most well-known names in film music aren’t immune to skepticism when it comes to AI.
Reputation still matters, but it’s not enough to prevent damage.
When the composer was described as Hans Zimmer, participants were more likely to praise the human author and think the AI played a minor role. When described as unknown students, we assumed that they would be more reliant on AI.
“That was the only limited benefit of reputation,” Carnevale said. “People have come to believe that highly respected creators are still driving the creative process.”
Its influence extended beyond the boundaries of art. In another experiment, participants rated highly regarded advertising employees known for their strong ideas and award-winning work. Again, the use of AI will damage your reputation.
“When people believe that AI has been used for creative work, even if they are not told how much AI has been used, they begin to question whether that creativity is real,” Carnevale said. “Reliability turned out to be an important mechanism.”
Revealing that AI was being used for administrative tasks eased some of the backlash, but it did not completely eliminate it. Participants were also less likely to seek collaboration with colleagues who relied on AI.
The researchers note that previous research has shown that AI can enhance creative outcomes, and stress that their findings are not an argument against AI. Rather, this work highlights the gap between technical ability and social awareness.
“There’s a reputation tax on AI right now,” Carnevale said. “Creators must manage not only the work itself, but also the perception of how that work came about.”
For now, even the most prominent creators are not immune.
“If people like Hans Zimmer don’t get a free pass, it tells us just how powerful these perceptions still are, and how carefully creators need to think about their image when collaborating with AI,” Carnevale said.
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Source Florida International University
