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.
Wen et al. (Sun,) studied this question.