Recent advances across neuroscience, cognitive psychology, philosophy and artificial intelligence (AI) are rapidly changing our understanding of the cognitive structure of creativity, and have raised the possibility of creativity in machines. This project aims to illuminate relationships of similarity and difference between the capacities that underpin animal (including human) and machine intelligence, focusing particularly on creative intelligence. 

The project team, led by Joshua Shepherd at Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, aims to develop a theoretical framework capable of explaining the capacities that undergird paradigmatic creative behavior. To do this they will complete 3 workstreams:

1. Understanding Option Generation (i.e., the processes that output, into the stream of consciousness, ideas about what actions one might perform)
2. Developing a philosophical account of Improvisational Intelligence (i.e., how we make spontaneous decisions)
3. Understanding the contribution of cognitive feelings (e.g., curiosity, boredom, confidence, fluency, and effort) to the guidance of creative thought and action. 

By probing these 3 aspects, the team hopes to develop an account of the guiding function of the cognitive feelings for intelligent and creative decision-making which could ultimately map relationships of similarity and difference between animal and machine intelligences. They plan to leverage what they learn about creative intelligence from this project to consider aesthetic and ethical questions regarding the promises and perils of AI for scaffolding creative behavior.