# Where Do I 'Add the Egg'?: Exploring Agency and Ownership in AI Creative Co-Writing Systems

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.15440 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2509.15440/

## Key facts

- Cited by 7 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 30 of its 90 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 18 Sep 2025.

## Builds on (most cited first, 30 of 30)

- [CoAuthor: Designing a Human-AI Collaborative Writing Dataset for Exploring Language Model Capabilities](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2201.06796/) (2022)
- [Co-Writing Screenplays and Theatre Scripts with Language Models: An Evaluation by Industry Professionals](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2209.14958/) (2022)
- [Art or Artifice? Large Language Models and the False Promise of Creativity](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2309.14556/) (2023)
- [Sparks: Inspiration for Science Writing using Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2110.07640/) (2021)
- [A Design Space for Intelligent and Interactive Writing Assistants](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2403.14117/) (2024)
- [Creative Writing with an AI-Powered Writing Assistant: Perspectives from Professional Writers](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2211.05030/) (2022)
- [Luminate: Structured Generation and Exploration of Design Space with Large Language Models for Human-AI Co-Creation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2310.12953/) (2023)
- [Shaping Human-AI Collaboration: Varied Scaffolding Levels in Co-writing with Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2402.11723/) (2024)
- [Conceptual Metaphors Impact Perceptions of Human-AI Collaboration](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2008.02311/) (2020)
- [Writer-Defined AI Personas for On-Demand Feedback Generation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2309.10433/) (2023)
- [ConvXAI: Delivering Heterogeneous AI Explanations via Conversations to Support Human-AI Scientific Writing](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2305.09770/) (2023)
- [LaMPost: Design and Evaluation of an AI-assisted Email Writing Prototype for Adults with Dyslexia](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2207.02308/) (2022)
- [The HaLLMark Effect: Supporting Provenance and Transparent Use of Large Language Models in Writing with Interactive Visualization](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2311.13057/) (2023)
- [Patchview: LLM-Powered Worldbuilding with Generative Dust and Magnet Visualization](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2408.04112/) (2024)
- [Collaborative Storytelling with Large-scale Neural Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2011.10208/) (2020)
- [The Role of Inclusion, Control, and Ownership in Workplace AI-Mediated Communication](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2309.11599/) (2023)
- ["If the Machine Is As Good As Me, Then What Use Am I?" -- How the Use of ChatGPT Changes Young Professionals' Perception of Productivity and Accomplishment](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2404.12549/) (2024)
- [CharacterChat: Supporting the Creation of Fictional Characters through Conversation and Progressive Manifestation with a Chatbot](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2106.12314/) (2021)
- ["It Felt Like Having a Second Mind": Investigating Human-AI Co-creativity in Prewriting with Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2307.10811/) (2023)
- [ABScribe: Rapid Exploration & Organization of Multiple Writing Variations in Human-AI Co-Writing Tasks using Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2310.00117/) (2023)
- [Co-Writing with AI, on Human Terms: Aligning Research with User Demands Across the Writing Process](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2504.12488/) (2025)
- [Authors' Values and Attitudes Towards AI-bridged Scalable Personalization of Creative Language Arts](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2403.00439/) (2024)
- [Storyfier: Exploring Vocabulary Learning Support with Text Generation Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2308.03864/) (2023)
- [Exploring the Impact of AI Value Alignment in Collaborative Ideation: Effects on Perception, Ownership, and Output](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2402.12814/) (2024)
- [Like My Aunt Dorothy: Effects of Conversational Styles on Perceptions, Acceptance and Metaphorical Descriptions of Voice Assistants during Later Adulthood](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2309.11681/) (2023)
- [Examining Humanness as a Metaphor to Design Voice User Interfaces](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2405.07458/) (2024)
- [(Un)making AI Magic: a Design Taxonomy](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2403.15216/) (2024)
- [Ink and Individuality: Crafting a Personalised Narrative in the Age of LLMs](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2404.00026/) (2024)
- [Examining Human-AI Collaboration for Co-Writing Constructive Comments Online](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2411.03295/) (2024)
- [CoachGPT: A Scaffolding-based Academic Writing Assistant](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2506.18149/) (2025)

## Built on by (most cited first, 7 of 7)

- [Designing Proactive Thought Partners for Writing](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2609.01588/) (2026)
- [Beyond Compliance: How AI Could Help Creative Writers by Refusing Them](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2605.16272/) (2026)
- [PaintCopilot: Modeling Painting as Autonomous Artistic Continuation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2605.20941/) (2026)
- [Towards Cognitive Process-Aware Proactive Writing Support](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2608.30424/) (2026)
- [LLMs as Oracles: Reliance on LLMs for Subjective Personal Questions](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2609.14849/) (2026)
- [PeerPen: AI-Assisted Writing for Online Mental Health Peer Support](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2609.14886/) (2026)
- [NarrativeSteward: Coordinating Delegation, Guidance, and Verification in Agent-Assisted Interactive Narrative Authoring](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2609.39333/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

AI co-writing systems challenge long held ideals about agency and ownership in the creative process, thereby hindering widespread adoption. In order to address this, we investigate conceptions of agency and ownership in AI creative co-writing. Drawing on insights from a review of commercial systems, we developed three co-writing systems with identical functionality but distinct interface metaphors: agentic, tool-like, and magical. Through interviews with professional and non-professional writers (n = 18), we explored how these metaphors influenced participants' sense of control and authorship. Our analysis resulted in a taxonomy of agency and ownership subtypes and underscore how tool-like metaphors shift writers' expected points of control while agentic metaphors foreground conceptual contributions. We argue that interface metaphors not only guide expectations of control but also frame conceptions of authorship. We conclude with recommendations for the design of AI co-writing systems, emphasizing how metaphor shapes user experience and creative practice.