AI Literacy Must Teach People to Question the System

A student completes a short artificial-intelligence course. She can write a detailed prompt, generate a presentation, summarise a document and automate a routine task. The certificate calls her AI-literate.

Then a system invents a source, treats a dominant-country practice as universal, asks for confidential information and presents a recommendation whose commercial assumptions remain invisible. Can she verify the claim, identify whose knowledge is missing, protect the data, explain who benefits and decide that the system should not be used?

If not, the course has taught operation without literacy. It has produced a capable user who remains vulnerable to the authority of a fluent machine.

AI literacy must teach people to question the system. It should develop the ability to operate, verify, contextualise, challenge and govern AI while preserving human agency and the freedom to refuse inappropriate use.

Late on 31 July 2026, Doon University launched an “AI for All” initiative with IIT Madras, the Indian Ministry of Education’s SWAYAM Plus platform and the IITM Pravartak Technologies Foundation. The reported first phase includes AI and machine learning with Python, AI in physics, accounting and chemistry, and courses for educators and aspiring engineers. Doon University is to act as the nodal partner for higher-education institutions across Uttarakhand.

This is a reported launch, memorandum and course offer. It establishes the partners, intended reach and initial subjects. It does…