As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly embedded in education, many discussions about its role remain narrowly focused on tools like ChatGPT. But according to Vanessa Camilleri, a senior lecturer in AI at the University of Malta, this limited perspective misses the broader implications of AI in society.

"If we reduce AI literacy to learning how to prompt a chatbot, we’re setting ourselves and our students up for a shallow understanding of one of the most powerful forces of our time," Dr Camilleri warned.

The AI expert expresses frustration with panels and workshops that treat AI literacy as little more than learning how to prompt a chatbot. "More often than not, these conversations aren’t really about AI. They’re about ChatGPT," she said.

While generative AI is important, she argues that reducing AI literacy to mastering a single tool leaves learners unprepared for the wider technological landscape.

True AI literacy, she insists, goes beyond usage, it requires critical engagement with the systems shaping our digital world.

 "It’s about developing the critical capacity to recognise, question, and navigate the power structures and systems that AI both reflects and reinforces," she added.

This means understanding:

• Machine learning vs. surveillance vs. automation – how different AI applications function.

• Algorithmic bias – how AI influences social media, policing, credit scoring, and hiring.

• Ethical and justice concerns – who is harmed when AI fails, and who defines success?

"We are not just living in the age of generative AI," she said. "We are living in the age of hypnocracy, where attention is currency, and AI systems are built to capture and manipulate it.

The Conversations We’re Missing

Here, the AI lecturer calls for a broader discussion, including:

• Epistemic awareness – how AI shapes what we know (as explored by scholars like danah boyd).

• Algorithmic manipulation – how systems nudge behaviour (a key theme in Shoshana Zuboff’s Surveillance Capitalism).

• Democratic resilience – how AI fuels disinformation (a focus of researchers like Renée DiResta).

"The story is bigger, more urgent, and still being written," she says. "Let’s teach people how to read it."

Her argument underscores a need to move beyond tool-based training. Companies relying on AI for decision-making must understand its biases, while educators must prepare students to critically engage with, not just use, these systems.

As AI evolves, so must our conversations. ChatGPT is just the beginning, while the real challenge is navigating the deeper currents of an AI-driven world.