A Comparison of Speech and Typing Input for Creative Generative AI Tasks

Abstract

Generative AI systems, such as ChatGPT, are increasingly integrated into how users work and create content. The most common way to interact with these systems is through text-based prompting, typically produced by typing on a keyboard or using speech-to-text. While speech input is supported in generative AI systems, little research has examined how speech and typing differ for prompt creation. We conducted a user study (N = 40) comparing two modalities for writing prompts—speech and typing—across two common generative AI tasks: image creation (e.g., a self-portrait) and text creation (e.g., a blog post). We examine behavioural metrics (prompt length, time, and iterations) and subjective perceptions of the experience and generated output. Our results reveal that input modality significantly influenced prompting behaviour but did not lead to measurable differences in subjective evaluations.