With a little help from Chat-GPT, Gemini, Grok or DeepSeek...
ADHD passions are often thwarted by mundane challenges that lead to procrastination and lost interest. Setting up a company involves tedious admin, finances and procedures. Creating a website still requires specialist knowledge in most cases. Writing often involves clearly stating the completely obvious, which can be painful.
For individuals with ADHD, finding ways to channel that creativity while overcoming often frustratingly obvious steps to reach their creative objectives can be a struggle. But with the rapid advancements in AI technology, the tedious and dull work can be a thing of the past. This article explores how AI can be the primary solution for people with ADHD, allowing them to focus on their creative strengths and thrive.
The creativity challenge of ADHD
ADHD symptoms often create challenges in performing routine tasks, in doing anything obvious, and in being predictable. Unfortunately many creative endeavours involve boring parts, like creating an essay structure or writing a too obvious introduction, generally we avoid any task that seems like "filling in the background". It can be difficult for people with ADHD to focus on their creative pursuits and maintain productivity.
Creative Strengths of ADHD
Despite the challenges ADHD presents, many people with it have a unique set of creative strengths. Studies have shown that individuals with ADHD exhibit higher levels of divergent thinking, originality, and risk-taking compared to their non-ADHD counterparts. Additionally, they possess an ability to think outside the box and generate novel ideas, making them valuable contributors in various fields. Enabled by AI this can be a powerful combination. It seems many of the early adopters of AI, are highly ADHD in nature!
AI: The Perfect Partner for ADHD Creativity
As AI technology continues to advance, it offers a range of tools that can help individuals with ADHD overcome the dull and tedious aspects of work, allowing them to focus on their creative strengths. Here are a few examples of how AI can support those with ADHD:
- Automating routine tasks: AI can be used to automate repetitive and mundane tasks that often prove challenging for those with ADHD. Tools like virtual assistants can help manage schedules, send reminders, and organize information, freeing up time and mental resources for creative pursuits.
- Automating organisation and planning: AI-powered assistants will help individuals with ADHD improve their organisation with pro-active, personalized support. For example, you say to your colleague "I'll have it to you by Friday" and you AI-PA automatically updates you diary and offers you gentle reminder prompts. AI-PA may be able to analyse your work patterns and suggest personalized ADHD strategies to enhance focus and minimize distractions.
- Rapid idea generation and development: AI can be used to stimulate creative thinking and idea generation. Tools like AI-powered brainstorming applications can help individuals with ADHD explore new ideas, identify patterns, and make connections, fostering their innate creative abilities. These ideas can then be executed much more quickly helping us to maintain focus before novelty wears out.
Conclusion
The AI revolution will bring ADHD creative strengths to the world in ways never before possible. By leveraging AI technology, ADHD adults can overcome the challenges of routine tasks, enhance productivity, and unleash their creative potential. As AI continues to advance and become more accessible, it promises to be a powerful ally in empowering people with ADHD to thrive in their personal and professional lives.
References
- White, H. A., & Shah, P. (2006). Uninhibited imaginations: Creativity in adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Personality and Individual Differences, 40(6), 1121-1131.
- Mark, G., Iqbal, S., Czerwinski, M., & Johns, P. (2014). Bored mondays and focused afternoons: The rhythm of attention and online activity in the workplace. Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 3025-3034.
