#AI4M*: Helping students become AI power-users

*Note: In the forthcoming 2026 release of Essentials of Marketing, we highlight content showing how AI is used in marketing with “#AI4M” (AI for marketing). We will also use it here at the blog.

A bit of a provocative title there. What? You plan to help students become power users of AI? Yes, I do. I don’t think everyone will agree with this, but hear me out. First, our students are going to work in an AI-driven marketing world. AI has been used for a long time in marketing, and its application will only continue to grow. And indeed, the person at the desk next to them will be using AI; they need to use it well to be competitive in the workplace. Second, the quality of any AI output depends on how people use AI. To get the best results, people need to use AI actively–not casually. We need to show our students what that means. Third, research shows that creativity gets amplified with AI, not diminished. Fourth, it aligns with how we teach marketing. We all teach students to not only collect data, but to interpret and act on it. Similarly, students should not just collect AI “answers” but learn to probe, refine and apply those insights strategically. Consequently, I intend to teach my students how to use AI.

I also recognize the challenge of designing assignments and assessments that actually foster and assess students’ knowledge and critical thinking skills. Here at Teach the 4 Ps we have long advocated for active learning and in the age of AI, this type of teaching and assessment will be even more critical. You will continue to see that most of our posts here will offer in-class activities that allow you to get students talking to each other and learning critical thinking. To get that started, I suggest you design some exercises early in the semester that teach students how to use AI.

Regular readers of Teach the 4 Ps will know that my go-to expert on AI and teaching marketing is Wharton Entrepreneurship Professor Ethan Mollick. Ethan covers AI and writes in a manner accessible for the casual business person who uses AI. His book, Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI has influenced how I use AI and how I teach my students about AI. In short, Ethan advocates for people to use AI as an assistant. Like many of our best graduate assistants, AI is smart and hard-working. It also makes mistakes. We have to watch them closely. Unlike our best graduate assistants, it can provide answers very quickly. Ethan posts regularly on his Substack, One Useful Thing. I encourage all my readers to subscribe. It’s free.

My first few blog posts this semester will reference articles from One Useful Thing and suggest how you can use them to enhance your own knowledge and (if you choose) that of your students. I will offer summaries of recent posts, I found interesting. These summaries were initially generated by AI and edited by me. I will also post In-Class Activities that can be used with your students.

Using AI Right Now: A Quick Guide, June 23, 2025. I have posted links to some of Ethan Mollick’s previous guides, but with AI companies and models changing so fast, we are fortunate that updates his guides regularly. This latest guide breaks down how to get the most out of today’s leading AI systems—Claude, Gemini, and ChatGPT. He shows why the difference between casual users and power users isn’t fancy prompting but knowing when to switch models, use Deep Research, and try features like voice mode. A quick, practical read for anyone who wants AI to be more than just a smarter Google.

• Implications for marketing instructors. Get yourself or your students up to speed on the latest AI tools.

In-Class Activity: Becoming a Power-User of AI

Assign (or lecture on) the reading Using AI Right Now: A Quick Guide (One Useful Thing, June 23, 2025) to foster a discussion of its implications in class.

Objective: Help students move beyond casual AI use (like asking quick questions) and explore how features like switching models, Deep Research, and voice mode can make AI more useful for marketing tasks.

1. Step 1: Quick Debrief (5 minutes)
   • Ask: What surprised you in Mollick’s article?
   • Highlight key themes: different models (fast vs. powerful), Deep Research, and the difference between casual vs. power users.
2. Step 2: Group Experiment (20 minutes)
   • Divide students into small groups. Assign each group a marketing task and have them complete it twice:
     • Default Mode (Casual Use)
       • Use an AI system in its default settings (fast model, no added context).
       • Example tasks:
         • Write a short ad for a new plant-based protein bar.
         • Create a market segmentation for an app that teaches guitar.
         • Draft an email campaign for a local gym.
     • Power User Mode (Informed Use)
       • Switch to a powerful model (Claude Opus, GPT o3, Gemini Pro).
       • Provide context: paste a short description of the product, target audience, or marketing objective.
       • Use Deep Research or voice/camera mode if available.
       • Refine outputs through back-and-forth interaction.
3. Step 3: Compare Results (10 minutes)
   • Each group briefly shares:
     • How did the outputs differ between casual and power-user approaches?
     • Which version felt more “marketing ready”?
     • Did adding context or using a stronger model improve creativity, accuracy, or professionalism?
4. Step 4: Class Reflection (10 minutes)
   • Discuss as a class:
     • What does this exercise teach us about using AI as marketers?
     • How might casual vs. power use affect real marketing work (e.g., ad quality, research depth, creative campaigns)?
     • What habits should we adopt as AI power users?

Why This Works

• Direct tie to Mollick’s article → students experience the difference between casual and power use.
• Marketing relevance → tasks are authentic to what they’ll face in careers.
• Engagement → students see firsthand how context, model choice, and interaction shape AI’s usefulness.