KINGSTON, R.I. – Feb. 27, 2025 – The Journal of Marketing Education, a leading international publication dedicated to advancing marketing scholarship, has recognized University of Rhode Island Associate Professor Stephen Atlas with its 2024 Outstanding Article of the Year Award.

Atlas’ award-winning paper, Generative AI and Marketing Education: What the Future Holds, co-authored with Abhijit Guha, from the University of South Carolina and Dhruv Grewal, examines how generative AI technologies such as ChatGPT are reshaping marketing education and the broader field.

“This recognition reflects how rapidly AI is transforming marketing,” said Atlas. “Generative AI is already influencing how businesses engage with customers, create content, and conduct research. The challenge now is to prepare students to navigate this evolving landscape.”

In the paper, Atlas and coauthors propose that generative AI could improve marketing education and prepare students for future marketing jobs that apply artificial intelligence to reshape tasks like content creation, customer service and research.

In examining knowledge, attitude and use of generative AI among marketing students and educators, the piece asserts that tools like ChatGPT can enhance the learning experience for students.

As part of the research the team surveyed undergraduates about whether they had used ChatGPT and if they felt it aligned with university policy. Surprisingly, about 55% of the students surveyed reported never having used the tool, though those who had used it did so extensively.

The team also surveyed marketing professors to gauge their awareness of ChatGPT as well as their opinions on its potential use in classrooms. Like students, many educators were unfamiliar with the tool, and a majority expressed a positive view of ChatGPT. Many also responded saying that it shouldn’t be banned. 

One respondent noted that resisting technological advances seems futile, and added, “Thus, it seems important for us to identify legitimate uses for AI technology, teach students how to use it effectively, and help students critique AI output (and become more critical consumers of information, in general).”

The article proposes that ChatGPT should be viewed as a tool, and not a replacement for human effort. Educators should encourage, reinforce, and highlight the notion that generative AI is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Additionally, students should be made aware of the significant challenges that come with its use, such as ethical concerns, biases, and plagiarism.

“There are all the learning objectives that existed before, and there’s also now new learning objectives around responsible generative AI use. And that’s the crux of the issue as some of these fields are looking into the future,” said Atlas.

The paper concludes by exploring the potential benefits of integrating generative AI in the classroom while limiting the downside. Atlas argues that professors can utilize it to mirror how marketing professionals use it, such as training students on industry-specific software like Python, Tableau and Qualtrics. It can also be a resource to help students create virtual flashcards to help them study and master new concepts.

“At the end of the day, human authors are still responsible for what they write, they just don’t have to hold the pen quite so much,” says Atlas.