AI and Unplugged Creativity: Reimagining Accessible Intelligence through AI-Scaffolded Paper-Cutting for Marginalized Communities

Abstract

Background: While generative AI holds transformative potential for creative education, it often exacerbates the digital divide for children in the Global South. Its 'screen-centered' paradigm reinforces algorithmic colonialism, where result-oriented outputs often marginalize local narratives and impose alien cultural frameworks, further isolating those in low-resource environments.Objective: This study proposes an unplugged, AI-scaffolded intervention paradigm to stimulate creativity and critical thinking among rural children in low-tech environments. Methods: Guided by the "3E" principles (Embedded, Embodied, Emergent), we developed an AI-integrated toolkit that transforms a single A3 paper into a creative "Zine" through non-electronic paper-cutting activities. A study was conducted with 40 students in rural China, using AI as a heuristic scaffold to provide cultural imagery through questioning rather than direct answers. Data were collected via coded artworks. Results: Findings indicate that: (1) AI-scaffolding significantly enhances narrative complexity and personalized creative expression; (2) Compared with "answer-oriented" outputs, AI’s guided intervention triggers more iterative thinking and reflective dialogue, fostering creative agency rather than technological dependence; and (3) highly embodied interactions increase creative autonomy and immersion. Conclusion: This research demonstrates a scalable, new inclusive design framework that activates local cognition through low-tech human-AI collaboration, providing a viable model for culturally adaptive intelligence in marginalized communities.