Lower Student AI Literacy Predicts Higher Propensity to Use AI on Assignments
Recent research finds those with lower AI literacy are MORE likely to embrace AI technology, not less. The reason? They're more likely to view AI as "magical" and experience a sense of awe when AI performs tasks traditionally thought to require human attributes.
The research is based on multiple studies including one with college students, which showed that students with lower AI literacy had a greater propensity to use AI to complete an assignment compared to those with higher AI literacy.
Why this matters:
As AI becomes more prevalent in education and daily life, the need for AI literacy becomes critical.
Without proper understanding, users may overestimate or misinterpret AI capabilities, especially if companies favor this “magical” element in their marketing strategies and UX/UI.
(We've already seen some of this in ads touting AI's ability to "predict the future" amongst other examples.)
The implications are clear: while lower AI literacy could drive faster adoption, responsible AI use, particularly in education, requires us to bridge the knowledge gap. This makes AI literacy more crucial than ever, and less likely to come from tech platforms that benefit from a lack of it.
Check out the full research study from co-authors Stephanie Tully, Chiara Longoni, and Gil Appel.
