Co-Designing Media Plans With Generative AI

Teaching Media Planning as Human–AI Collaboration in the Classroom

Bibliographic Data

ID22421146
AuthorsTaylor Jing Wen (0000-0002-6967-1617, University of South Carolina, corresponding author), Kristin Walker (0000-0003-0882-2159, University of South Carolina), Carrie Jingyi Xiao (University of South Carolina)
Year2026
Publication date2026-04-19
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Advertising Education (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1098-0482 • E-ISSN: 2516-1873
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/10980482261443245
OpenAlexW7154964031
LanguageEN
References cited24

As media planning becomes increasingly data-intensive and algorithmically driven, advertising educators face the challenges of preparing students to operate effectively within hybrid human–Artificial Intelligence (AI) workflows. This paper introduces a human–AI collaborative model for teaching undergraduate media planning, centered on a custom GPT tool, the Media Planning AI Assistant, embedded within a semester-long course. Rather than functioning as an autonomous decision-maker, the Assistant serves as a generative partner that models industry-standard workflows while requiring students to construct the knowledge base, interpret research inputs, and critically evaluate outputs. Using a mock national campaign, the paper demonstrates how students engage in iterative human–AI collaboration across audience analysis, competitive assessment, media strategy, budgeting, and scheduling. The study offers a practical pedagogical framework for integrating generative AI into media planning education, designed to reduce cognitive load, scaffold strategic reasoning, and support ethical AI literacy without displacing human judgment.

Generative grammar · Generative model · Literacy · Media literacy · Workflow · AI in Service Interactions · Educational Games and Gamification · Management and Marketing Education

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