Beyond the Buzzword: Defining AI Literacy
It seems like everyone is talking about AI. From board rooms to classrooms to dinner tables, everyone is working to balance interaction and safety. They’re seeking this balance with one goal in mind – preparing the next generation for the AI-enabled world that awaits them. Fostering AI literacy is the best way to equip learners – of all ages – with the skills they need to succeed in that world.
AI literacy is no longer just an education buzzword – it’s a foundational part of learning in the 21st century. Similar to other forms of literacy like math or reading, AI literacy is constantly evolving. There is not a nationally-recognized definition of AI literacy, nor is there a standard format for embedding it into learning environments or testing for mastery.
At National AI Literacy Day, we believe AI literacy encompasses the knowledge and skills needed for every learner, educator, and citizen to navigate, use and shape AI technology with confidence, safety, and critical thinking. Let’s unpack what that actually means.
Caption: Two children sitting at a table doing homework and writing a paper with the assistance of an AI tool to help structure sentences.
Knowledge and Skills
A number of organizations released AI literacy frameworks in recent years such as Stanford’s Teaching Commons, ISTE & ACSD, Digital Promise, UNESCO, and the U.S. Department of Labor.
Though all of these frameworks are unique in their own way, they all include five central principles: critical evaluation and judgement, ethics and social responsibility, human-centered mindset, technical fundamentals, and practical applications. In short, someone who is AI literate:
Possesses fundamental knowledge about how AI works
Uses that knowledge to effectively support—not replace—their thinking
Determines what, when, and where AI is appropriate
Assesses AI outputs for accuracy and bias
Considers the societal and environmental impacts of AI use
Navigate, Use and Shape AI Technology
Navigating, using and shaping AI technology means moving from passive observer to active participant in the digital age. AI navigation involves building AI literacy and understanding the landscape to evaluate capabilities and outputs. AI use builds upon navigation by utilizing AI in a collaborative manner, determining how it can best be integrated into existing tasks without compromising the quality of the work. Shaping AI comes as a result of mastery of AI navigation by actively influencing AI technology so it aligns with human values and ethics. This can involve joining leadership communities, like the EDSAFE AI Alliance, or providing direct feedback to companies about AI tools.
Confidence, Safety and Critical Thinking
Beyond knowledge and skills, successful AI interaction demands confidence, safety and critical thinking.
When using AI, the user should feel confident about each interaction and how each input directly affects what responses AI generates. They must also be able to navigate decisions around when AI use can support versus harm, while confidently navigating bias and hallucinations that inevitably exist within AI.
Learners of all ages should also be mindful to avoid providing personal data to AI systems. Responsibility around safe interactions falls not only on the user, but also on the system. AI systems should prioritize data privacy and access to only age-appropriate AI tools (i.e., preventing children from interactions with companion bots and protecting against nonconsensual manipulated intimate material(NCMIM)). Legislation like H.R. 7757, the Kids Internet and Digital Safety (KIDS) Act, shows promise in ensuring that AI chatbots immediately disclose that they are AI systems – not humans – and provide information about suicide and crisis hotlines.
Another key component of safe AI use is that all interactions with AI should be rooted in critical thinking. AI users should objectively analyze, question and evaluate AI-generated information and content. It is imperative that users enact critical thinking processes into AI interactions. Moving from task execution to task evaluation, practicing conscious decision making, and utilizing lateral reading or Stop, Investigate, Find, Trace (SIFT) techniques are all recommended strategies for embedding critical thinking.
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Call to Action
AI literacy is constantly evolving; therefore, it can be hard to figure out where to begin to ensure you are best equipped to master this technology. The National AI Literacy Day curriculum resource library and synchronous and asynchronous professional development libraries contain free, vetted materials from a variety of organizations for learners, parents, educators and communities to start or continue their AI literacy journey.
National AI Literacy Day 2027, March 5,, is a great opportunity to bring attention to and work towards AI literacy in your community and nationwide. We encourage organizations to register as a supporting organization to be featured on our website and social media, participate in networking, co-hosted webinars, blog posts and other engagements, gain access to additional educational materials and promotion toolkits, and contribute your expertise to shape best practices, resources and policy discussions around AI literacy.
AI literacy isn’t just a day. It’s a movement. Join the movement today and ensure that learners, educators and communities are equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate, use and shape AI technology with confidence, safety, and critical thinking.
