FAQ

Original Intelligence (OI) is a quantifiable ability to expand beyond the common ideas that people (and AI) usually think of. OI is a human ability, but it can also come from the collaboration of humans with AI. Measuring OI when people work with AI is especially important because it shows two qualities that are essential for success in the AI landscape: 1) the capability to create something truly novel, and 2) the willingness and ability to think for yourself – to generate you own ideas – even when AI is available to do the hard thinking for you. So OI not only supports problem-solving and innovation but also reflects conscientiousness (doing the hard thinking that gets the better answer), which is valuable in a time when AI makes thinking deceptively easy.

OI wasn’t as important until the creation of AI. Before AI, the ability to generate ideas, solve problems, and innovate required both knowledge of a domain (that came from learning and experience) and the ability to apply that knowledge creatively.  Now, with AI, everyone with a computer has access to the same knowledge and the same AI-generated ideas based on that knowledge (i.e., the same creativity). AI has some great ideas, but it is now clear that the fundamental structure of all generative AI systems (probabilistic models) results in ideas that are similar to each other. This means that what appears to be creative with AI is no longer original. Everyone using AI models has access to the same set of similar ideas. The thing that has always made creativity valuable is that it offered something different: solving a problem in a new way or differentiating from competitors. Using AI the wrong way – using it to generate ideas without human OI – removes that value from creativity. This issue is compounded by the fact that people tend to overvalue AI ideas, anchoring on those ideas rather than thinking for themselves. If humans are unwilling or unable to use their own OI when they work with AI, the result will be a homogenized groupthink that stiffles progress. Identifying and fostering OI ensures that organizations retain and grow their creative capital in the AI landscape.

An idea space is a collection of relevant ideas related to a topic, prompt, concept or some other identified area. An existing idea space represents the ideas that have been suggested already and expands when new ideas are added. The more an idea is distinct from the usual ideas in the space, the more it expands the space. When you can’t see the idea space you’re working in, you don’t know whether your ideas are ordinary (like homogenized AI ideas) or genuinely original. Hupside’s product, Hupchecker, solves this problem by making the idea space visible. Once you can see it, you can not only see where your ideas are located (more ordinary or more original), you can also navigate it. Thus, Hupchecker provides a map for how to improve ideas relevant to the topic to make them more original (while avoiding the ”blackhole” of AI homogenization).

We agree with you, AI is pretty great. The efficiencies, cost savings, customer service, and more that we have been able to gain from AI has been unmatched—we’ve never seen a new technology like it. We want to help you maximize your ability to use it. That said, there are well documented challenges with AI that we need to address.

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What makes AI great is the way it works—in simple terms, it quickly looks across its existing data sets and by using sophisticated statistical analysis, it provides an answer to a prompt that is so close to how we would write that many wonder if it is truly human. In many cases, this is an extremely effective tool. However, in some cases, this process is limiting and a potentially harmful risk. AI is homogenizing ideas, and it is prioritizing its own outputs over human-sourced originality. When it comes to innovation, problem solving, talent development, and other similar disciplines, this is a massive problem.

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We are already seeing results that overreliance on AI is leading to group think, incorrect answers, and even decreased cognitive function. How to avoid these problems? Measuring and amplifying Original Intelligence with Hupchecker so that organizations can combine the best of what AI can do with the best of what people can do.

OIQ stands for Original Intelligence Quotient. It is a quantifiable measure of a person’s ability to generate original ideas, solutions, or perspectives that go beyond what AI or conventional thinking can produce. It’s different than your IQ, as it can change over time or in different disciplines. For instance, someone may be more original in marketing than they are in strategic consulting. OIQ quantifies your ability to be original—an ability that challenges groupthink, sparks breakthroughs, and powers long-term innovation. An OIQ score reflects how effectively someone can think independently and offer novel contributions in a world where originality is becoming a key competitive advantage.

There are 4 primary OIQ archetypes, each with sub-types that total to 10 possible archetype outcomes. They represent a spectrum of Originality, the measured way that a person thinks based on the Hupside OIQ score. Archetypes are a simple way to identify your team dynamics and better understand how someone approaches a problem or a challenge. While archetypes aren’t perfect, the more challenges a person completes (recommendation of at least 5 challenges), the better and more accurate the overall archetype fidelity becomes.

The OIQ archetypes are built from long-existing research and evidence-based principles that tie human creative behavior to personal attributes—attributes such as problem-solving ability, tolerance for ambiguity, thinking styles, and achievement. The OIQ objectively measures the outcome of originality via the novel methodology of idea space expansion and provides new insight into the behaviors that create it.

A focal OIQ indicates focused closely on a theme of similar ideas, this individual is important for a project where the goal is established and need to stay on track, this person’s focused ideas will remind the team what the main goals are, to help get the project across the finish line.

A focal-augmenter OIQ maintains strong thematic focus while beginning to build meaningful extensions, this individual excels at staying aligned with project goals while identifying opportunities for strategic enhancement. They bring disciplined originality that respects boundaries yet pushes ideas forward, helping teams maintain direction while discovering ways to elevate and refine established concepts.

An augmenter-focal OIQ extends and improves ideas while developing stronger thematic discipline, this individual combines enhancement instincts with growing focus that helps teams avoid scope creep. They channel their improvement-minded approach toward targeted outcomes, providing the perfect balance of originality development and strategic constraint

An augmenter OIQ takes themes and builds/extends them, needed when project goals have some constraints but still room to improve on what has been established, these individuals can really provide the icing on the cake, the critical extensions that bring an idea to the next level.

An augmenter-connecter OIQ builds upon established themes while beginning to weave together disparate concepts, this individual excels at taking existing ideas to new levels through strategic integration. They see enhancement opportunities across multiple domains, helping teams not just improve individual elements but create synergies between different project components, bridging the gap between refinement and originality.

A connecter-augmenter OIQ naturally links diverse themes while developing stronger instincts for strategic enhancement, this individual brings together multiple perspectives and then identifies how to amplify their combined potential. They excel at integration-driven improvement, helping teams discover not just how ideas relate but how connected concepts can be elevated together into more powerful, original ideas.

A connecter OIQ brings together multiple themes, this individual will tie disparate ideas together to help integrate what others have brought to the table, they can see connections where others may not.

A connecter-expander OIQ weaves together multiple themes while beginning to venture into uncharted territory, this individual bridges the gap between integration and innovation. They see connections that others miss and use those insights as launching points for broader exploration, helping teams build on collaborative synthesis to discover entirely new directions and possibilities beyond the current idea space.

An expander-connecter OIQ explores new frontiers while developing stronger abilities to integrate discoveries, this individual combines trailblazing instincts with growing awareness of how breakthrough ideas connect. They push boundaries while building bridges, helping teams not just venture into unexplored territories, but creating innovation pathways that others can follow and build upon.

An expander OIQ goes beyond themes and truly expands idea space, this is the trailblazer, this individual takes a team in new directions, uncovers new insights, provides divergent new paths to explore.

As AI continues to master novelty and usefulness, only those who can expand the idea space will retain a competitive edge—that’s where Originality comes in. Organizations anchored to outdated measures of creativity that were not intended to measure how people think with AI cannot identify or demonstrate human performers’ unique contributions. These organizations risk becoming redundant and face gradual obsolescence in favor of lower-cost, higher-throughput AI solutions. Original Intelligence—which is grounded in established research and measured by Idea Space Expansion—offers organizations a clear path to demonstrate and amplify uniquely human value. By embedding OI into talent assessment, talent development, team design, and hybrid workflows,   businesses can safeguard their strategic differentiation—and ensure humans remain at the helm of innovation in the AI era. The Hupchecker tool is not intended to be used as a substantial factor in making employment-related decisions, but as an additional data point alongside application materials, interviews, existing work product, and human interaction, all of which can help facilitate human-led analysis by our customers.

Original Intelligence is contextual, meaning your performance may shift depending on the challenge, format, or domain. It will also change as new LLMs are introduced into the market place. Our system will always measure relative competetency for originality. So, Just as athletes have their respective sports, or lawyers shine in specific types of cases, OIQ scores can reflect variation in how your Originality shows up across different prompts or pressures. This variation is natural and expected—OI is dynamic, not fixed. Your score reflects your originality in action, which evolves over time and adapts to each unique scenario.

A single prompt response will provide an indication of the respondent’s OIQ archetype. However, we recommend that before an OIQ type is meaningfully applied to any person, that person provides a diverse group of prompt responses. We recommend a minimum of 5 prompt responses drawn from at least 5 different prompt challenge questions and evaluated against content that is generated from at least 2 different LLMs. Challenge responses gathered over time, and in larger numbers, will provide additional insight into the OIQ archetype for any particular participant. Because humans often will vary in how they approach originality challenges and the environment upon which they live is dynamic (for example, LLMs gain new competencies or the individual learns creativity skills), an individual’s OIQ score may vary over time.

Hupchecker is designed for teams looking to maintain competitive advantage in an AI-everywhere world. We’re a best fit for people that are participating in strategic, creative or innovative tasks; frequently asked to solve problems; and interact with other people. This includes strategy, product development, marketing, innovation, research and development, leadership, and similar disciplines. Hupchecker is especially useful for any organization that is in the midst of an AI transformation. We help teams figure out how to organize to take full advantage of AI technology and the people whom they work with.

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We help organizations see not just how people perform individually, but how they work with AI, and how their originality archetypes complement each other. It’s a powerful way to build teams that think differently, collaborate strategically, and innovate effectively. The Hupchecker tool is not intended to be used as a substantial factor in making employment-related decisions, but as an additional data point alongside application materials, interviews, existing work product, and human interaction, all of which can help facilitate human-led analysis by our customers.

Hupside’s tools are focused on measuring originality—the ability to come up with something truly novel, beyond current human and AI ideas. By its nature, our tools do not measure an idea’s usefulness. Determining whether an idea actually works for the goal or mission at hand is, and should always be, up to the humans using our tools.

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Traditional creativity tools are generally based on subjective criteria about both novelty and usefulness. In an AI-driven world where everyone has access to the same previously identified ideas, this approach is obsolete because subjective human judgments (especially judgments of novelty) cannot account for the vast distribution of AI-generated ideas to determine whether what seems novel is actually similar to many other ideas (i.e., homogenized). Novelty is the new currency, and Hupside gives organizations and individuals the ability to identify it.

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We don’t measure personality or productivity. We measure Original Intelligence. Our platform is grounded in proven cognitive science and designed to identify the kind of thinking that leads to strategic differentiation.

The Hupchecker assesses how people think creatively on their own and also shows how they think creatively when they can use AI. Because we measure responses against humans and against a baseline of responses derived from the most popular LLMs, the assessment of a respondent’s originality is done in an idea space that includes both human and AI responses. The Hupchecker and OIQ show a person’s underlying ability and willingness to generate original ideas even when an LLM is available to do the thinking. This conscientiousness to think for yourself has always been vital to success and is even more important in an AI-driven workplace, where the challenge of groupthink must be overcome by human originality. The Hupchecker tool is not intended to be used as a substantial factor in making employment-related decisions, but as an additional data point alongside application materials, interviews, existing work product, and human interaction, all of which can help facilitate human-led analysis by our customers.

When it comes to AI transformation, most people are focused on the technology. Many companies are trying to find ways to use it in place of human labor. However, not as many are thinking about how people fit into the equation. That’s where Hupside comes in. Our technology helps organizations align their teams and hire the right people to think and work in collaboration with AI. There’s a place for everyone and all OIQ archetypes in AI-driven organizations, it’s just about finding the right fit.

The OIQ score has four components:

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·      Player v. Human (scores range from 0-100) – this compares human-to-human responses

·      Player v. AI Core (scores range from -100 to +100) – this compares human to commonplace AI responses.

·      Player v. AI Edge (scores range from -100 to +100) – this compares human to most unique AI responses.

·      Scores are summed together to arrive at the final OIQ score (negative scores subtract from the overall)

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Scores above 0 (a positive score) are more original than AI. Scores below 0 (negative score) are less novel and more homogeneous; responses are similar to common AI ideas.

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Hupchecker is being adopted across a growing range of high-impact use cases where originality makes the difference:

Hiring & Talent Selection

Organizations use OIQ scores to identify candidates who think beyond the obvious—people who can bring novel solutions, challenge groupthink, and elevate teams. Hupchecker helps hiring managers spot hidden talent that resumes and traditional assessments miss. The Hupchecker tool is not intended to be used as a substantial factor in making employment-related decisions, but as an additional data point alongside application materials, interviews, existing work product, and human interaction, all of which can help facilitate human-led analysis by our customers.

Team Composition & Collaboration

Leaders use Hupchecker to understand how team members complement each other across the OIQ archetypes—ensuring a mix of expanders, connecters, augmenters, and focal thinkers. This builds stronger, more innovative teams that avoid echo chambers.

Leadership Coaching & Executive Development

Coaches use Hupchecker to assess and develop originality as a leadership skill. It provides measurable insight into how executives generate novel ideas—and how to strengthen that capacity across their decision-making.

Private Equity & Investment Evaluation

Investors and operators use OIQ data to evaluate founder insight, team complementarity, and innovation culture—critical intangibles that don’t show up on a balance sheet but shape long-term performance.

Across all these use cases, Hupchecker delivers something new: objective visibility into human originality in the AI age. Whether you're hiring, teaming, coaching, or investing, it shows you who’s thinking beyond the bots.

Yes, you can absolutely improve your OIQ score. Like any skill, Originality can be developed with practice and intention. To boost your score, focus on stretching your thinking in new directions. This means getting curious, asking better questions, making unexpected connections, and pushing past surface-level answers. It also means remembering to think for yourself even when you work with AI. Give yourself space and time to do so. The more you practice thinking creatively and taking intellectual risks, the more your Originality will show up.

One of the interesting, and perhaps sad things about how people react to assessments is to find a way to game the assessment. We’d like to imagine that everyone who uses the Hupchecker will answer with their own thoughts, but let’s face it – some will try to figure out how to use tools to game the challenge. Well, here’s the good news. If you use AI and get a better originality score than you would otherwise, you are actually demonstrating your ability to use AI well. Your OIQ score against AI Core should stand out. But, by the same token if you use AI in substitution for your own thinking your score may be likely to be closer to AI Edge, or even below. Why? Because the Hupchecker measures the originality derived by the most common LLMs. If someone ”cheats” by using an LLM they are likely just cheating themselves.

The more important answer though is that the Hupchecker doesn’t decide whether an answer is ”right” or ”wrong.” We just measure a person’s capacity for originality. Our product places the human squarely into the equation. The person who creates the prompt challenges and receives the prompt responses has to review each answer, and they determine whether the provided answer is responsive to the prompt.

Think beyond the first idea – challenge yourself to push past obvious solutions‍

Combine unexpected elements – human creativity often shines when connecting seemingly unrelated concepts

Draw from personal experiences – your unique life story is something AI cannot replicate

Don’t self-censor – sometimes the ideas that seem odd at first lead to the most original thinking

New research shows that OI is quantifiable, as well as stable, predictive, and highly consequential (Johnson, Moon, Kaufman, & Green, 2025). Individuals with higher OI consistently generate ideas that are more creative, more effective, and more distinct. Most importantly, OI predicts real-world achievement and greater cognitive and creative capabilities. As AI comes to dominate the ordinary, OI is emerging as a leading indicator of differentiating value in the human-AI collaborative landscape.