AI Literacy in the Age of ChatGPT

A guide for instructors

We also offer a Student Guide to ChatGPT about generative AI.

This guide focuses on generative AI.

We cover only AI that can generate text, images, video, music, or speech. Examples: ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Gemini, Perplexity, Adobe Firefly, Midjourney, Eleven Labs, and more.

Last updated on November 25, 2024.

We aim to keep this guide up to date. But since new developments are happening so quickly, it's possible this may be out of date when you read it.

New to generative AI?

If you are new to the practice of using generative AI tools like ChatGPT, these short videos provide a useful introduction.

Practical AI for Instructors and Students (10 to 12 minutes each)
Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania

• Part 1: Introduction to AI for Teachers and Students
• Part 2: Large Language Models (LLMs)
• Part 3: Prompting AI
• Part 4: AI for Teachers
• Part 5: AI for Students

Learn more with tutorials

Brief tutorials from the University of Arizona Libraries. 

1. The technology behind ChatGPT
2. How does ChatGPT aim to prevent harmful use?
3. What is generative AI?
4. Using ChatGPT effectively
5. Creating multimedia with AI tools 

ChatGPT can be a useful tool when it comes to deciding what your topic should be for a research paper. We've created this guide for use with students.

• Generate Topics for Your Research Paper with ChatGPT - a guide for students from UA Libraries

What is AI literacy?

AI literacy is the ability to:

• critically evaluate AI technologies
• communicate and collaborate effectively with AI
• use AI as a tool, online, at home, and in the workplace.

From a 2020 paper, by Long and Magerko, who synthesized a variety of interdisciplinary literature into a set of core competencies.