AI literacy is not binary. Nielsen Norman Group draws a hard line between using generative AI and using it competently, arguing that prompt fluency and output evaluation are distinct, measurable skills that most users lack.
NNG's UX research background in civic tech and digital inclusion gives this piece teeth. The authors challenge a core assumption baked into most AI product design: that users arrive with baseline sophistication. They don't. ChatGPT and Gemini are widely available, but wide availability is not wide comprehension. The false consensus effect is named directly, and it stings.
The full article maps AI literacy as a new layer of digital literacy, with its own competency framework. If you design AI products, train users, or write AI policy, the taxonomy they build is the reason to read past the summary.
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