Media studies and AI

Media studies in the age of AI

The rapid development of artificial intelligence is fundamentally changing the media world—but it does not make a sound media education superfluous; rather, it makes it indispensable.

While AI systems are increasingly taking on operational tasks, there is a growing need for qualified specialists who can competently use these technologies, critically question them, and strategically control them.

“Only those who are confident in terms of content, design, and concept can use AI effectively and guide creative processes in a targeted manner.”

Prof. Dr. Lorenz Pöllmann

Media studies at Media University

A media degree at Media University not only provides technical expertise, but above all teaches skills that machines cannot (yet) perform:

  • judgment
  • ethical reflection
  • creative concepts
  • editorial competence, and
  • strategic thinking.

Today more than ever, graduates need to know what they want to achieve, why a contribution or product is relevant, and what quality looks like. Only those who are confident in terms of content, design, and concept can use AI effectively, formulate meaningful prompts, correctly classify results, and guide creative processes in a targeted manner.

Journalism, design, management, psychology

Whether in journalism, design, media management, or communication psychology, it is no longer just about producing content, but increasingly about structuring the use of AI, evaluating its output, and classifying media products in terms of content and ethics.

This requires sound professional qualifications, interdisciplinary thinking, and strong communication skills—all abilities that a contemporary degree program systematically promotes.

In the coming years, numerous new job profiles will emerge in the media industry—from AI editors and prompt designers to ethics consultants for automated media systems.

Media University trains the talents who will shape this future – reflective, creative, and competent in dealing with the possibilities and limitations of artificial intelligence.

Image gallery: The limits of AI

  • Context and culture: AI does not reliably understand irony, local references, and cultural nuances.
  • Ethical assessment: Automated systems cannot decide between “right” and “wrong” – human judgment is required here.
  • Storytelling & creativity: Good stories come from experience, empathy, and personal experiences.
  • Engaging with technology: Only those who understand the background and functioning of AI can interpret and further develop its results in a meaningful way.

Current status of AI development

  • Generative models: Systems such as GPT-4 or DALL·E generate complex texts and images in seconds.
  • Areas of application: From automated fact-checking to personalized news feeds, from data journalism to AI-supported design prototypes.
  • Technical trend: According to the World Economic Forum, trends in AI and information processing technologies will create 11 million new jobs by 2030 and displace 9 million jobs at the same time.

Overview of labor market forecasts

Future of Jobs Report 2025 (WEF):

  • Net job growth by 2030: +78 million jobs (170 million new vs. 92 million displaced) World Economic Forum.
  • Fastest-growing roles: AI & ML specialists, big data analysts, sustainability specialists, business intelligence analysts.
  • Human skills: Analytical thinking, problem solving, creativity, and social skills remain indispensable, according to WEF estimates World Economic Forum.

Today's media students are tomorrow's AI directors – with the know-how to use technology sensibly.

Humans & AI: Subject-specific relevance

Design

🤖AI is used as a creative tool in design studies — for example, for brainstorming, rapid visualization, or generative prototyping.

But good design requires more than just technology:

👨‍🎓 It requires aesthetic sensibility, conceptual thinking, and an understanding of target groups. Designers of the future must be able to specifically control and evaluate AI and translate it into meaningful design.
That is why a solid design education remains essential—creative professions will change, but they will not disappear.

In media studies, you learn not only technology, but also attitude. And attitude cannot be automated.

Journalism

🤖 AI is used in journalism to analyze data, automate texts, and speed up research.

But good journalism needs more than that:

👩‍🎓 Journalistic judgment, research skills, ethical awareness, and a sense of relevance. Future journalists must be able to use AI critically, verify content, and communicate it in an understandable way. A journalism degree teaches precisely these skills—because journalistic quality, context, and responsibility will remain irreplaceable in the future.

Communications management

🤖 AI is used in communications management to analyze trends, target specific audiences, and automatically generate content.

But effective communication requires more than just data:

👨‍🎓 Strategic thinking, a feel for tone, crisis management skills, and value orientation. Communication managers of the future must be able to control AI in a targeted manner, evaluate content, and design communication processes responsibly. A sound education teaches these key skills—because even in the age of AI, successful communication remains a human task.

Media management

🤖In media management, AI supports target group analysis, automates processes, and optimizes decisions using data.

However, AI cannot replace strategic thinking, market understanding, and leadership skills.

👩‍🎓 Media managers of the future must use AI in a targeted manner, evaluate it critically, and integrate it responsibly into business models. A degree in media management provides the necessary knowledge for this — because the success of digital media projects depends more than ever on competent management with an understanding of technology and content.

Artificial intelligence provides options – humans choose the path. Studying media gives them the ability to make judgments.

Psychology

🤖 In media psychology, AI helps analyze user behavior, control personalized content, and capture emotional responses.

However, understanding human perception, communication, and motivation remains central—and cannot be automated.

👩‍🎓 Future psychologists must be able to classify AI results, evaluate them ethically, and translate them into meaningful concepts. Studying psychology provides the necessary specialist knowledge and reflective skills—because even in the future, we will still need people who can design technology that serves humanity.

Game design

🤖 In game design, AI is used to create realistic worlds, analyze gaming behavior, and generate dynamic content.

But good game design requires much more than that:

👩‍🎓 Creative ideas, storytelling, knowledge of game psychology, and an understanding of user experience. AI is a tool—the design of authentic gaming experiences remains a human task. Game designers of the future must be able to use AI in a targeted manner and critically evaluate their results.
A game design degree teaches precisely these skills—because games will continue to need creative minds behind the technology tomorrow.

Conclusion

A solid media education bridges the gap between technical AI expertise and essential human skills, thereby creating media professionals who are ready for the future.

Recognizing relevance

Where AI delivers content, there is a need for individuals who can recognize relevance, quality, and impact—this is what one learns in media studies.

AI as a tool

AI is a tool. Anyone who wants to use it must understand what good communication, good design, and good journalism mean.

We need attitude

The media world does not need machine operators, but rather creative individuals with attitude – and university is the best place to develop this.

Smart users

Behind every smart AI application, there needs to be an even smarter person who knows what it is good for—and what it is not good for.