The Cognitive Ownership Illusion: Perceived Idea Authorship After Using Generative AI Tools

In recent years, generative artificial intelligence (AI) systems have become integral to how individuals create and evaluate ideas. This technological shift has not only transformed creativity and productivity but has also introduced new questions about cognitive authorship—the extent to which people perceive algorithmically generated content as self-produced. The present study investigates the phenomenon termed the cognitive ownership illusion, defined as a misattribution of authorship toward outputs generated with AI assistance. Using a mixed-method design, ۱۳۶ participants completed an online writing and reflection task in which they generated short essays either independently or with the support of a generative AI tool. Subsequently, they rated their perceived authorship, confidence, and critical awareness of the text’s origin. Quantitative analyses revealed that frequent AI users reported significantly higher perceived authorship scores for AI-assisted outputs, along with reduced source-monitoring accuracy. Qualitative reflections further suggested that familiarity with AI responses fosters an internalized sense of cognitive co-production—an emerging form of “shared thinking” between human and algorithm. These findings highlight the subtle but profound ways in which AI-mediated cognition may reshape metacognitive awareness, self-referential processing, and the boundaries of human creative identity.

Keywords:

Cognitive ownership illusion , source-monitoring processes , metacognitive self-awareness , neural correlates of authorship perception , human–AI co-cognition , creative agency , self-referential processing , cognitive identity reconstruction