According to the World Economic Forum, AI literacy is now a core competency in education. However, across the Caribbean region, it is unclear whether policymakers know what an AI literacy curriculum should comprise, especially when the track record for digital literacy is considered. We discuss AI literacy and highlight important topics that any programme should cover.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a niche field for specialists. It is increasingly being integrated into search, social media, workplace tools, education platforms and public services. That shift makes AI literacy a practical and civic priority: people need to understand what AI systems do, how they shape decisions, how to use them well, and how to push back when they’re harmful.
Across the Caribbean region, ministries of education are recognising the need to incorporate AI education into the classroom to help develop the requisite competencies. However, all too often, it can appear that the focus is primarily on coding and prompt engineering to use today’s AI tools. However, as was highlighted in an article in the Cayman Compass advocating for AI literacy in schools, the knowledge and skills that should be developed are considerably broader.
What is AI literacy?
AI literacy is the set of knowledge, skills and attitudes that allow an individual to understand, use, critically evaluate, and (at some level) create with AI systems. It covers conceptual understanding (what models can and cannot do), practical use (how to prompt and interpret outputs), ethical and legal reasoning (bias, privacy, responsibility), and social or civic awareness, such as how AI shapes economies, public services, media and power.
On the other hand, digital literacy typically covers skills for using digital tools and navigating the online world, and would include basic device use, searching effectively, evaluating information online, safety and privacy, and perhaps introductory coding. Although there is some overlap between AI literacyand digital literacy, AI literacy can be seen as a more specific or specialist area of study, and tends to differ in the following three ways.
First,AI literacy requires learners to understand concepts beyond “how to use an app.” For example, they must have specific knowledge on how models are trained, what data biases mean, probabilistic output versus truth, and the limits of automation. Second, most AI systems are not transparent. Hence, a good AI literacy programme will seek to develop skills for probing, validating, and critically evaluating outputs (e.g., fact-checking generated content), rather than just following digital workflows. Finally, in AI literacy, there is also an emphasis on making learners aware of systemic harms, such as algorithmic bias, surveillance, labour disruption, and policy literacy— to prepare learners to participate in civic debates about regulation and design.
Having said this, many Caribbean citizens are still digitally illiterate. To a considerable degree, programme implementation has been ad hoc, and the curriculum delivered has not been standardised nor accredited. Learners may thus end up acquiring a mish-mash of knowledge and skills and still have some significant gaps in their digital competency. It also means that generally, AI literacy programmes deployed in the Caribbean may not be able to take for granted that learners already possess basic digital literacy knowledge and skills upon which to build, but rather AI literacy programmes may need to incorporate some digital literacy primer elements to establish a suitable foundation upon which to build.
Key topics in an AI literacy programme
As expected, AI literacy guidelines or standards have been prepared by several organisations to help ministries, schools and curriculum writers to develop their own training programmes. Exhibit 1 below outlines core modules typically included in an AI literacy curriculum.
Useful resources
Listed below are global frameworks that can be used to develop AI literacy programmes for teachers and/or students. It is emphasised that these frameworks are not a certificate-granting accreditation, but can guide curriculum development.
- UNESCO AI Competency Frameworks. Targeted at both students and teachers, these frameworks provide competencies and guidance for integration into formal curricula.
- AILit Framework / OECD and European Commission (AILit). This is a high-profile draft framework (AILit) designed for primary and secondary education that outlines knowledge, skills and attitudes.
- AI4K12 (United States). The Artificial Intelligence (AI) for K-12 initiative (AI4K12) provides grade-band guidelines that give concrete learning progressions, activities and teacher materials for K–12 and is widely used by schools and districts in the United States.
- Elements of AI (University of Helsinki and Reaktor). A hugely popular free introductory online course that issues a completion certificate. It is widely cited and used as a public resource.
Summary
AI literacy is the natural next step after digital literacy, and some recognised publicly available guidelines and frameworks can help Caribbean countries, and even the region, develop their own programmes. However, as we have learned from digital literacy initiatives in the region, a sustained effort to deploy and maintain the programmes will be crucial to ensure that a critical mass of citizens develop the tools to engage effectively in an AI-driven future.
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