This study critically aims to examine the growing emphasis on artificial intelligence (AI) literacy in education and libraries and argues that information literacy constitutes the missing epistemic core of AI literacy. It contends that without a strong grounding in information literacy, digital, media and AI literacy, initiatives risk prioritizing tool fluency over critical judgment, ethical reasoning and epistemic understanding. The study highlights the evolving role of librarians in addressing this gap.
This study adopts a conceptual and critical approach, drawing on scholarship in information literacy, critical information literacy, constructivist learning theory, epistemic cognition and critical pedagogy. Through theoretical synthesis and critical analysis of contemporary AI literacy discourses, it proposes a hierarchical meta literacy model that positions information literacy as the foundational condition for robust digital, media and AI literacy.
The study argues that when information literacy is marginalized, AI literacy risks becoming procedural and instrumental rather than epistemic and ethical. Challenges associated with generative AI, including bias, hallucination and misinformation, are framed as failures of information integrity. Grounding AI literacy in information literacy enables librarians to design instruction that emphasizes source evaluation, system interrogation and responsible AI use.
This study contributes a theoretically grounded reframing of AI literacy by positioning information literacy, as its epistemic foundation rather than a parallel or auxiliary competence. By introducing a hierarchical meta literacy model and foregrounding the evolving role of librarians in AI education, this study offers conceptual clarity for educators, librarians and policymakers seeking to design AI literacy initiatives that prioritize epistemic rigor, critical judgment and ethical responsibility over short-term technological proficiency.
