Abstract

The algorithmic curation of public discourse by artificial intelligence has fundamentally restructured the public sphere into digitally mediated environments where information flow, opinion formation and civic engagement are increasingly shaped by systems optimized for engagement rather than democratic values. This paper argues that a profound civic AI literacy gap has emerged, leaving citizens vulnerable to manipulation, unable to exercise informed consent and excluded from governing technologies that shape their civic lives. Drawing on existing literacy frameworks, the paper develops a multidimensional model of civic AI literacy encompassing three core dimensions: technical understanding of how AI systems function and shape information environments; critical evaluation skills for assessing AI-generated content and identifying manipulation; and ethical-participatory awareness for democratic stewardship of technological systems. The paper demonstrates that systematic AI literacy education is feasible and adaptable across diverse national contexts. Based on these findings, the paper proposes a multi-tiered implementation strategy integrating civic AI literacy into formal education curricula across all levels, community-based lifelong learning programs and public policy frameworks that mandate platform transparency and democratic accountability. The paper concludes that without systematic education about AI's role in shaping discourse, citizens cannot meaningfully participate in, critique or steward the digital environments essential to 21st-century democracy, making AI literacy not merely an educational reform but an urgent investment in democratic resilience.

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