AI Literacy

What is AI Literacy?

AI literacy at its most basic is the ability to understand what AI is, what it is not, what it can and cannot do, how to use it responsibly, and how to work with it effectively.

AI Literacy is not about coding, math, or technical expertise.

It is about comfort and clarity.

By the end of this, you should feel grounded and able to recognize AI tools, not feel overwhelmed by vocabulary and technological complexities.

“If you cannot explain the AI system, then you cannot explain limitations. You aren’t being AI enabled, you’re just guessing faster.”

The Car Metaphor
I have begun using the “Car Metaphor” to simplify learning about everyday use of AI. Most people have a car, use it everyday to make life easier, but only a specialized few know how to take an engine apart and put it back together again by heart: this analogy lies at the heart of my principles of AI literacy.

The Tier System helps to grow from basic foundational knowledge to more nuanced understanding of AI functions and capabilities with each progressive step.

Tier 1 – Awareness: You know what a car is, what it is for, and you are comfortable getting inside.

Tier 2 – Comprehension: You can point to the steering wheel, brakes, mirror, engine, etc. and know what each part does.

Tier 3 – Application: You can drive that car in normal, everyday situations.

Tier 4 – Integration: You start using the car strategically to make your life easier and follow the rules of the road responsibly.

Tier 5 – Fluency: You can understand the engine, even if you can’t pull it apart and put it back together again entirely. You can understand the safety standards behind car use and the laws that make the whole system work for everyone as we all drive together on the road.

Please note that tiers into specific artificial intelligence systems and the internal mechanisms behind them may be added in the future.

How to Use This AI Literacy Program

This program developed out of my innate drive to close the knowledge gap between the labs behind the frontier technologies rapidly changing our world and the people whose lives are being affected by it.

If you are new, start at Tier 1 and go in order: each Tier assumes the foundation of the one before it.

As you go, use the concepts in real situations and check the results. That’s where the learning sticks.

– Charlotte Wilborn 1.21.2026

Available Now
Tier 1 – PDF – v1.0
Tier 1 – Text Content – v1.0
Tier 2 – PDF – v1.0
Tier 2 – Text Content – v1.0
Tier 3 – PDF – v1.0
Tier 3 – Text Content – v1.0
Tier 4 – PDF – v1.0
Tier 4 – Text Content – v1.0

Coming soon
Tier 5A – PDF – v1.0
Tier 5A – Text Content – v1.0
Tier 5B – PDF – v1.0
Tier 5B – Text Content – v1.0

AI Literacy in planning:
Automated Workflows
Cybersecurity and AI
AI Platforms (OpenAI, xAI, Anthropic, Google, and Microsoft)
Creative Writing with AI
Research and Development with AI
Governance
Auditing AI
Human-AI Collaboration Frameworks
Emergent Properties in Complex Systems
Model Learning Frameworks
IGS
Failure Modes
Future AI Integrations: Robotics
Future AI Integrations: Quantum
Future AI Integrations: Virtual Reality and Brain Computer Interfaces (BCI’s)