Algorithmic Literacy, AI Literacy and Responsible Generative AI Literacy
Open accessAbstract
The pervasive impact of Artificial Intelligence on workers and citizens implies the need for AI literacy, but it is an elusive concept. The purpose of the paper is to review definitions of algorithmic, AI and generative AI literacy. In depth of analysis is presented of conceptualisations of AI literacy coming from different perspectives, such as media studies, HCI, technology and education. The paper then outlines a definition of responsible generative AI literacy that conceives it as more than effective prompting.
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Zhai et al. (2024) and Cox (2024) caution that overreliance without explicit norms risks normalizing biased or opaque outputs.
“Zhai et al. (2024) and Cox (2024) further caution that overreliance without explicit norms risks normalizing biased or opaque outputs.”
From Understanding AI Literacy Among College Students: Voices from a Historically Black College and University (2026) · cites this paper as Cox (2024)
Cox’s ‘Responsible generative AI literacy’ section (p. 13) warns that generative AI can produce unacknowledged bias and is unexplainable. ‘Knowledge through the use process’ (pp. 17–18) calls for critical evaluation of outputs and ethical guidance, and discusses dependence on AI. The paper does not specifically say that overreliance without explicit norms normalizes biased or opaque outputs. (LLM, conf=0.84)
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Cites
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“At the time of writing the most widely cited model of AI literacy is that proposed by Long and Magerko (2020) (Table 1).”
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Cited by
Sorted by citations
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- Authors
- Cox, A.
- Affiliations
- University of Sheffield (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Cox, Andrew
- Venue
- Journal of Web Librarianship
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2024-07-02
- Volume
- 18
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 93-110
- ISSN
- 1932-2909 (ISSN-L)
- 1932-2917
- OpenAlex
- W4403247365
- Cited by
- 67
- References
- 8
- Citations by year
- 2026: 52 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 1
- FWCI
- 79.92
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Journal of Web Librarianship (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- White Rose Research Online (University of Leeds, The University of Sheffield, University of York) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Library and Information Sciences › Library Science and Information Literacy
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Information Systems › Digital literacy in education
- Social Sciences › Safety Research › Ethics and Social Impacts of AI
- Keywords
- algorithmic literacy, AI literacy, generative AI literacy, prompting
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