Understanding the differences between AI literacy and digital literacy for educators.
AI Literacy vs Digital Literacy
You may already feel digitally literate — using email, Moodle, online documents, and other online tools.
But AI literacy is a new and different skillset.
It’s not just about using tools — it’s about understanding how they work, where their limits are, and how to use them with intention.
| Aspect | Digital Literacy | AI Literacy |
|---|---|---|
| Skills | Using email, LMS, and cloud documents | Writing effective prompts, evaluating AI outputs, recognising limitations |
| Focus | Operating tools correctly | Understanding how tools think and where they fail |
| Mindset | Competent user | Critical partner and evaluator |
| Key Risks | Phishing, data privacy, misinformation | Bias, hallucinations, over-reliance, ethical misuse |
Or in an Educational context you may want to consider;
| Aspect | Digital Literacy | AI Literacy |
|---|---|---|
| What you do | Navigate digital platforms and tools | Prompt, question, and verify AI-generated content |
| What you need | Technical confidence | Critical thinking and ethical judgment |
| Teaching impact | Deliver content digitally | Co-design learning with AI as a partner |
| Risks to manage | Security breaches, privacy issues | Algorithmic bias, inaccurate outputs, academic integrity |
🪶 He Kōrero Anō | Whakaaro Hohonu – Deepening AI Literacy
Digital literacy taught us to use technology; AI literacy asks us to think alongside it.
In te ao Māori, knowledge isn’t just information — it’s relationship. Understanding AI means knowing where its mātauranga comes from, whose stories built it, and what values it carries.
Being literate in AI is less about speed and more about whakaaro hohonu — deep thinking.
It’s about pausing before we click “generate” to ask:
Who benefits from this output? Whose voice is missing? What am I teaching through my prompt?
True literacy lives in reflection, not reaction. That’s where ako continues — learning with the tool, not under it.
💭 Reflective Prompt
- “What AI skills do your learners need for their futures — and how can you model those in your teaching?”
🪞 Up next: Practical frameworks for growing your capability (SAIL + CRAFT) and a few safe, thoughtful ways to try AI this week.