Collaborating With AI: Teaching Advertising Creativity

The integration of generative AI into advertising education raises questions about its impact on creative learning. Guided by Amabile’s componential theory, this mixed-methods study compares human–AI and human–human collaboration in ideation tasks completed by 64 undergraduates. AI collaboration increased ideational efficiency but was associated with lower reported cognitive engagement and creative ownership; students viewed AI-generated ideas as more original yet less relevant. Preference for AI collaboration was predicted by perceived creativity during the task rather than baseline creative confidence. These findings suggest that structured sequencing and framing of AI use are critical for sustaining creative agency in advertising coursework.