MIND THE GAP: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF AI LITERACY POLICIES AND THE CHALLENGE OF GENERATIVE AI IN DEVELOPING CONTEXTS

Yıl 2026, Cilt: 16 Sayı: 1, 504 - 518, 01.01.2026

A. Elif Posos Devrani , İrem Dölen

https://doi.org/10.7456/tojdac.1800770

Öz

As artificial intelligence (AI) technologies become increasingly embedded in everyday life, traditional models of media literacy are being challenged. While early frameworks emphasized access and critical engagement with legacy media, today’s educational systems must respond to the complex social, ethical, and cognitive implications of AI—particularly generative tools like ChatGPT. This study conducts a comparative analysis of AI literacy policies and educational strategies across the European Union, the United Kingdom, and UNICEF, identifying both shared priorities and significant divergences. Findings reveal that while policy frameworks in the Global North often center on computational thinking and digital competence, their transfer to Global South contexts frequently overlooks local infrastructural, linguistic, and ethical conditions. The reliance on universalist models risks reinforcing epistemic injustice and deepening digital divides. Instead, the study advocates for context-sensitive and culturally grounded AI literacy policies that integrate indigenous ethical frameworks, such as Ubuntu, and support inclusive, problem-driven approaches to curriculum design. The study also highlights the critical role of teacher preparedness, calling for dual-focus professional development programs that combine technical training with ethical and critical media literacy components. In conclusion, dynamic and adaptable educational policies are needed to promote equitable participation in an AI-mediated information ecosystem. The analysis contributes to the ongoing discourse on how education systems (especially in the Global South) can develop relevant, inclusive, and sustainable AI literacy strategies.

Anahtar Kelimeler

AI literacy , generative AI , education policy , Global South , teacher preparedness , epistemic justice

BOŞLUĞA DİKKAT EDİN! YAPAY ZEKA OKURYAZARLIĞI POLİTİKALARI VE GELİŞMEKTE OLAN ÜLKELER BAĞLAMINDA ÜRETKEN YAPAY ZEKANIN ZORLUKLARI ÜZERİNE KARŞILAŞTIRMALI BİR ANALİZ

Öz

Yapay zeka (AI) teknolojileri günlük hayata giderek daha fazla entegre oldukça, geleneksel medya okuryazarlığı modelleri yeniden değerlendirmeye açılmıştır. İlk çerçeveler eski medyaya erişim ve eleştirel katılımı vurgularken, günümüzün eğitim sistemleri AI'nın, özellikle ChatGPT gibi üretken araçların karmaşık sosyal, etik ve bilişsel etkilerine yanıt vermek zorundadır. Bu çalışma, Avrupa Birliği, Birleşik Krallık ve UNICEF'te yapay zeka okuryazarlığı politikaları ve eğitim stratejilerinin karşılaştırmalı bir analizini yaparak, ortak öncelikleri ve önemli farklılıkları belirlemektedir. Bulgular, Küresel Kuzey'deki politika çerçevelerinin genellikle hesaplamalı düşünme ve dijital yeterlilik üzerine odaklandığını, ancak bunların Küresel Güney bağlamlarına aktarılmasında yerel altyapı, dil ve etik koşulların sıklıkla göz ardı edildiğini ortaya koymaktadır. Evrensel modellerine güvenmek, epistemik adaletsizliği pekiştirme ve dijital uçurumları derinleştirme riskini beraberinde getirmektedir. Bunun yerine, çalışma, Ubuntu gibi yerli etik çerçeveleri entegre eden ve müfredat tasarımında kapsayıcı, sorun odaklı yaklaşımları destekleyen, bağlama duyarlı ve kültürel temelli yapay zeka okuryazarlığı politikalarını savunmaktadır. Çalışma ayrıca öğretmenlerin hazırlıklı olmasının kritik rolünü vurgulamakta ve teknik eğitimi etik ve eleştirel medya okuryazarlığı bileşenleriyle birleştiren çift odaklı mesleki gelişim programları çağrısında bulunmaktadır. Sonuç olarak, yapay zeka aracılı bilgi ekosistemine eşit katılımı teşvik etmek için dinamik ve uyarlanabilir eğitim politikalarına ihtiyaç vardır. Analiz, eğitim sistemlerinin (özellikle Küresel Güney'de) ilgili, kapsayıcı ve sürdürülebilir yapay zeka okuryazarlığı stratejilerini nasıl geliştirebileceğine dair süregelen tartışmaya katkıda bulunmaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Yapay zeka okuryazarlığı , üretken yapay zeka , eğitim politikası , Küresel Güney , öğretmen hazırlığı , epistemik adalet

Kaynakça

• Arakpogun, E. O., Elsahn, Z., Olan, F., & Elsahn, F. (2021). Artificial Intelligence in Africa: Challenges and Opportunities. In A. Hamdan, A. E. Hassanien, A. Razzaque, & B. Alareeni (Eds.), The Fourth Industrial Revolution: Implementation of Artificial Intelligence for Growing Business Success (Vol. 935, pp. 375–388). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-62796-6_22
• Borines, V. A., Turi, A. N., & Hedru, P. (2024). The What, So What, and What Now of the AI Landscape in Emerging Economies. 804–809. https://doi.org/10.1109/TENCON61640.2024.10902844.
• Buckingham, D. (2007). Digital Media Literacies: Rethinking Media Education in the Age of the Internet. Research in Comparative and International Education, 2(1), 43–55. https://doi.org/10.2304/rcie.2007.2.1.43
• Casal-Otero, L., Catala, A., Fernández-Morante, C., Taboada, M., Cebreiro, B., & Barro, S. (2023). AI literacy in K-12: A systematic literature review. International Journal of STEM Education, 10(1), 29. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-023-00418-7
• Dignum, V., Pigmans, K., Vosloo, S., & Penagos, M. (2021). UNICEF – Policy Guidance on AI for Children (2.0) (p. 90). UNICEF Office of Global Insight and Policy. https://www.unicef.org/globalinsight/reports/policy-guidance-ai-children
• European Commission. (2020). Digital Education Action Plan 2021-2027 Resetting education and training for the digital age (No. 624 Final). COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS.
• Gagrčin, E., Naab, T. K., & Grub, M. F. (2024). Algorithmic media use and algorithm literacy: An integrative literature review. New Media & Society, 14614448241291137. https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448241291137
• Gran, A.-B., Booth, P., & Bucher, T. (2021). To be or not to be algorithm aware: A question of a new digital divide? Information, Communication & Society, 24(12), 1779–1796. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2020.1736124
• HM Government. (2021). National AI Strategy. Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, Office for Artificial Intelligence, Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport and Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy.
• Hobbs, R. (2010). Digital and media literacy: A plan of action : a white paper on the digital and media literacy recommendations of the Knight Commission on the information needs of communities in a democracy. Aspen Institute.
• Kellner, D., & Share, J. (2019). The Critical Media Literacy Guide: Engaging Media and Transforming Education. BRILL. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004404533
• Livingstone, S. (2004). Media Literacy and the Challenge of New Information and Communication Technologies. The Communication Review, 7(1), 3–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/10714420490280152
• Mhlanga, D. (2023). Artificial intelligence in Africa: Challenges and opportunities in education. In D. Mhlanga (Ed.), Handbook of research on artificial intelligence applications in the education sector (pp. 250–267). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-6684-5674-4.ch014
• Ng, D. T. K., Leung, J. K. L., Chu, S. K. W., & Qiao, M. S. (2021). Conceptualizing AI literacy: An exploratory review. Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 2, 100041. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2021.100041
• Ng, D. T. K., Leung, J. K. L., Su, J., Ng, R. C. W., & Chu, S. K. W. (2023). Teachers’ AI digital competencies and twenty-first century skills in the post-pandemic world. Educational Technology Research and Development, 71(1), 137–161. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-023-10203-6
• Pietersen, D. C., & Langeveldt, D. C. (2024). Decolonising AI: A critical approach to education and social justice. Interdisciplinary Journal of Education Research, 6(S1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.38140/ijer-2024.vol6.s1.07
• Schreier, M. (2012). Qualitative Content Analysis in Practice. SAGE Publications Ltd. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781529682571
• UK Government Department for Education. (2025). Generative artificial intelligence (AI) in education. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/generative-artificial-intelligence-in-education/generative-artificial-intelligence-ai-in-education
• UNESCO. (2021). AI and education: Guidance for policymakers in Asia. UNESCO Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000376702
• Wakunuma, K., & Eke, D. (2024). Africa, ChatGPT, and Generative AI Systems: Ethical Benefits, Concerns, and the Need for Governance. Philosophies, 9(3), 80. https://doi.org/10.3390/philosophies9030080
• Walter, Y. (2024). Embracing the future of Artificial Intelligence in the classroom: The relevance of AI literacy, prompt engineering, and critical thinking in modern education. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 21(1), 15. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-024-00448-3
• Zuboff, S. (2019). Surveillance Capitalism and the Challenge of Collective Action. New Labor Forum, 28(1), 10–29. https://doi.org/10.1177/1095796018819461