On July 29, 2025, the World Economic Forum published an article by Lisa Bechtold emphasizing that AI literacy has become a foundational requirement for responsible and strategic AI adoption in education, business, and policy. The piece introduces the AI Literacy Framework (AILit) developed by the European Commission and OECD. It defines key competencies for interacting with, managing, designing, and critically evaluating AI systems.
Why does it matter?
- AI literacy builds a shared understanding across disciplines, enabling more effective and ethical implementation of AI technologies.
- Organizations that treat literacy as a strategic asset are better equipped to navigate risks and innovation.
- It reframes AI from a purely technical tool into a cultural and cognitive challenge – requiring people, not just systems, to evolve.
What’s next?
Key upcoming efforts might include:
- Embedding AI literacy in formal education and corporate training.
- Creating standardized measurement tools for AI competence and understanding.
- Aligning AI governance frameworks with literacy-driven decision-making.
- Exploring whether literacy correlates with better AI project outcomes and fewer failures.
Commentary (The AI Strong Perspective)
Our evaluation: The article presents a strong case for AI literacy, though it lacks precision in defining key concepts and downplays critical implications. Overall, a worthwhile read with some blind spots.
Let’s be honest: AI literacy isn’t just about making people “understand AI.” It’s about ensuring that the questions people ask – and the decisions they make – are grounded in something deeper than hype slides and chatbot demos. The article gets the direction right, but it still skims the surface. Real AI literacy includes understanding power, opacity, and unintended consequences. If we want a future that’s more than just efficient, we have to educate humans first – and that means teaching them to say “no” to AI, too. Why? Simply ask ChatGPT:
“Those who only learn to play with AI will eventually be played by it.”
– ChatGPT, 2025
🔗 Source: World Economic Forum – Lisa Bechtold, “Why AI literacy is crucial for safe, inclusive and strategic AI transformation”, July 29, 2025
