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In a 2023 study reviewing existing AI literacy literature (and developing the SNAIL self-assessment included below), Laupichler, Aster, Haverkamp and Raupach (p. 1) established this definition of the term:
The term AI literacy describes competencies that include basic knowledge and analytical evaluation of AI, as well as critical use of AI applications by non-experts.
The term and concept of "AI literacy" builds upon previous technology literacies such as digital literacy and data literacy, both of which also connect back to information literacy. Olson (University of North Dakota, n.d.) makes the connections between AI literacy and information literacy explicit by mapping AI-related learning outcomes to information literacy standards.
There are different approaches to the concept of teaching students and the wider public about how to use and understand AI, so you will sometimes see the term algorithmic literacy, which focuses on the structure and impact of algorithms on our everyday lives, whereas AI literacy is more focused on the technology aspect (Ridley & Pawlick-Potts, 2021).
In one of the first studies of AI literacy and the first to broadly establish what it entailed, Long and Magerko (2020) observe that while AI education has been a field of study for decades, AI education for non-experts is still fairly new. However, since their original 2020 paper, the field of AI literacy has become quite active.
Librarians Wheatley & Hervieux (2022, p. 63; emphasis added) demonstrate AI literacy in context:
An AI-literate person can not only use their smartphone to access and create content on a social media platform, but they can also understand that certain features on those platforms are being embedded with AI technologies and speak to what those different programs can do.
This separate distinction of AI literacy is built around the education of the public to better understand AI terminology and concepts and is encouraging them to become active participants with AI.
As AI has become incorporated into so much of daily life, those who discuss the need to inform and educate non-experts about this technology have sometimes focused on AI literacy as a civic duty. Detmering, Willenborg and Holtze (University of Louisville Libraries, n.d.) use the phrase "citizen literacies" to describe the collection of skills critical to ensure an active and informed citizenry, including algorithmic literacy.
Similarly, Gupta (2021), founder of the Montreal AI Ethics Institute, includes an understanding of AI in "civic competence," which refers to "the ability of people from everyday life and from all walks of life to be able to meaningfully participate in discussions on a particular subject.”
In a 2023 blog post, Dr. Maha Bali explains the need for Critical AI Literacy in a time of increased focus on AI. She suggests we view AI and AI literacy through the lens of critical pedagogy, historical context, ethical consideration, and
Literacy as in beyond the basic skill of how to use something, but beyond that into the capacity to know when, where and why to use it for a purpose, and, importantly, when NOT to use it.
These researchers propose evolving ways of structuring what it means to be AI literate and how to teach others to be. Long and Magerko's study was the first to examine the field of AI literacy, and subsequent researchers have further developed their ideas.
Laupichler et al. first developed the “Scale for the Assessment of Non-Experts’ AI Literacy” (SNAIL) in early 2023, and their efforts to refine and improve this instrument are ongoing.
As the survey was included in an open access article, Laupichler has encouraged its exploration by others (confirmed via personal communication), so Vicky created a simple Google Spreadsheet for anyone to use to assess their own understanding of AI.
The phrasing of these components comes from Laupichler et al., but every researcher who's considered the question of what AI literacy entails has come to similar conclusions. An AI literate person is one who has some understanding of the technology, knows how to use it, and knows how to think about the credibility and effect of such technology.
Bali, M. (2023, April 1). What I mean when I say critical AI literacy. Reflecting Allowed. https://blog.mahabali.me/educational-technology-2/what-i-mean-when-i-say-critical-ai-literacy/
Detmering, R., Willenborg, A., & Holtze, T. (n.d.). U of L Libraries: Citizen literacy. University of Louisville Libraries. Retrieved October 26, 2023, from https://library.louisville.edu/citizen-literacy/home/home
Gupta, A. (2021, January 6). Why civic competence in AI ethics is needed in 2021. Montreal AI Ethics Institute. https://montrealethics.ai/why-civic-competence-in-ai-ethics-is-needed-in-2021/
Laupichler, M. C., Aster, A., Haverkamp, N., & Raupach, T. (2023). Development of the “Scale for the assessment of non-experts’ AI literacy” – An exploratory factor analysis. Computers in Human Behavior Reports, 12, 100338. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chbr.2023.100338
Long, D., & Magerko, B. (2020). What is AI literacy? Competencies and design considerations. Proceedings of the 2020 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1145/3313831.3376727
Olson, D. (n.d.). Artificial intelligence: AI literacy as info literacy. University of North Dakota Libraries. Retrieved October 23, 2023, from https://libguides.und.edu/c.php?g=1335774&p=9865889
Ridley, M., & Pawlick-Potts, D. (2021). Algorithmic literacy and the role for libraries. Information Technology and Libraries, 40(2). https://doi.org/10.6017/ital.v40i2.12963
Wheatley, A., & Hervieux, S. (2022). Separating artificial intelligence from science fiction: Creating an academic library workshop series on AI literacy. In S. Hervieux & A. Wheatley (Eds.), The Rise of AI: Implications and Applications of Artificial Intelligence in Academic Libraries. Chicago, IL: Association of College and Research Libraries. https://escholarship.mcgill.ca/concern/books/0r9678471
The materials and text on this page are largely based on Vicky Ludas Orlofsky's section of the conference presentation Academic Librarianship and Information Literacy in an AI World, presented by Vicky, Romel Espinel and Courtney Walsh at Thoughts on Bots: Composition and Creative Pedagogy in the Age of AI, October 26 - 27, 2023, at Stevens Institute of Technology.
Visit the presentation guide for slides and full references.
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