AI literacy is the knowledge and skills that enable humans to critically understand, use, and evaluate AI systems and tools to safely and ethically participate in an increasingly digital world.
We distinguish between three ways to engage with AI in educational contexts: Interact, Create, and Apply. Among all three contexts, evaluating AI is the most critical element of AI literacy. All too often, people use AI passively without considering the privacy, safety, or societal implications of doing so. To be truly AI literate, users must take a more active approach, with awareness of the data being used and how it is being used and shared, and the algorithm(s) in the systems.
Our AI Literacy framework emphasizes that understanding and evaluating AI are critical to making informed decisions about if and how to use AI in learning environments. At Digital Promise, we are applying this framework to support learners, teachers, education leaders, and caregivers with the knowledge and resources they need to understand, use, and evaluate AI systems and tools.
Figure 1. AI Literacy Framework includes three components: Understand, Use, and Evaluate
In the coming months, we will share research-based guidance and practical recommendations to promote AI literacy as it becomes more pervasive in and out of the classroom. We see AI literacy as a critical skill set for educators and learners to decide if and how to use AI systems for teaching and learning.
Artificial Intelligence in Education