Artificial intelligence literacy in higher and adult education: A scoping literature review

TLDR

Artificial intelligence is increasingly permeating everyday life, making it essential for non‑experts—including children and adults in higher education—to acquire basic AI literacy for effective interaction with the technology. This scoping literature review aims to assess the current state of research on AI literacy in higher and adult education, identifying thematic foci and emerging trends. The authors searched ten research databases, screened 902 records, and selected 30 studies that met predefined eligibility criteria for detailed evaluation. The review reveals that AI literacy research is still nascent, requiring clearer definitions and curriculum content, and offers several recommendations for future research and practice.

Abstract

Since artificial intelligence (AI) is finding its way into more and more areas of everyday life, improving the AI skills of non-experts is important and will become even more relevant in the future. While it is necessary that children learn about the possibilities of AI at an early age, adults in higher education and beyond should also have at least a basic understanding of AI (i.e., AI literacy) to be able to interact effectively with the technology. To evaluate the current state of the literature on AI literacy in higher and adult education, a scoping literature review was conducted with the objective of identifying thematic foci and recent research trends. Ten research databases were searched and out of 902 initial records, 30 studies were identified using predefined eligibility criteria, whereof the content was evaluated in the review. The results indicated that research in this area is still in its infancy and needs refinement in terms of how to define AI literacy in adult education as well as what content should be taught to non-experts. Lastly, several recommendations for research and practice are derived from the results.