Co-Creativity at the Table: A Qualitative Analysis of Creative Interactions in the Podcast "Adventure AI"

2026-06-16

AI Summary

This study investigates the boundaries of artificial intelligence applicability and human-AI collaborative creativity in tabletop role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons. Through qualitative content analysis of three seasons (2023–2025) of the podcast *Adventure AI*, the research systematically examines the dynamic interplay between human players and AI with respect to interaction patterns, role allocation, and perceived evaluations. It reveals, for the first time, the mechanisms underlying AI’s role positioning and anthropomorphic perception in collaborative creative gameplay, identifying AI’s strengths in narrative generation and rule-based support alongside its limitations in emotional resonance and spontaneous co-creation. These findings delineate appropriate and inappropriate contexts for AI deployment in such games, offering both theoretical grounding and practical guidance for AI-driven creative collaboration.

Abstract

Tabletop role-playing games provide a unique environment for interaction with artificial intelligence (AI) due to their complex and collaborative nature. We analyze Adventure AI, a podcast featuring human-AI interactions in Dungeons & Dragons play, to examine how AI is and can be used in tabletop role-playing gaming and how players perceive this use. We complete a qualitative analysis of three seasons of this podcast, from 2023 to 2025, reporting on the overarching themes of roles of AI, roles of humans, the evaluations and failures of AI, and its treatment as a person and character at the table. There are many aspects of the game where artificial intelligence succeeds, while there are others where it is less appropriate. This analysis gives a basis for future work on where artificial intelligence should and should not be used in gaming spaces.

Problem

• co-creativity
• tabletop role-playing games
• human-AI interaction
• artificial intelligence
• creative collaboration

Innovation

• co-creativity
• human-AI interaction
• tabletop role-playing games
• qualitative analysis
• AI personhood