Skip to Main Content
Libraries at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

AI Literacy Toolkit

The Artificial Intelligence (AI) Literacy Toolkit includes core competencies, search tools powered by GenAI, and skill benchmarks that faculty and librarians can use to incorporate AI literacy education into their instruction.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Competencies for Students

Mapped to the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education

Understanding AI in the Information Ecosystem 

AI Competency

Mapped ACRL Frame(s) 

Rationale 

Explain what artificial intelligence is and how it shapes the creation and organization of information. 

Information Creation as a Process 

Helps students understand AI-generated content (e.g., text, images, summaries) as a new form of information production with unique affordances and limitations. 

Recognize the types of tasks AI tools are designed for and how they influence access to and interpretation of information. 

Information Has Value 

Encourages awareness of AI’s role in reshaping access, ownership, and labor in information systems. 

 

Critical Use of AI Tools in Research and Learning 

AI Competency  

Mapped ACRL Frame(s) 

Rationale 

Use generative AI tools to brainstorm, draft, and revise—while evaluating the reliability, originality, and limitations of AI-generated content. 

Research as Inquiry,  
Information Creation as a Process 

Promotes AI as a tool in iterative research and writing while emphasizing human judgment and revision. 

Develop effective prompts to improve the quality and relevance of AI responses. 

Research as Inquiry 

Encourages students to treat prompt engineering like formulating good research questions. 

Distinguish between appropriate and inappropriate uses of AI in academic work. 

Information Has Value,  
Authority Is Constructed and Contextual 

Reinforces academic integrity and disciplinary norms. 

 

Evaluating AI-Generated & AI-Mediated Information 

AI Competency 

Mapped ACRL Frame(s) 

Rationale 

Critically assess AI-generated content for bias, misinformation, or fabricated sources. 

Authority Is Constructed and Contextual,  
Information Has Value 

Encourages students to question how authority and truth are constructed in algorithmically generated content. 

Identify when and how AI systems might reinforce or challenge existing power structures. 

Authority Is Constructed and Contextual 

Engages students in considering the social and political implications of information technologies. 

 

Ethical & Inclusive Use of AI 

AI Competency 

Mapped ACRL Frame(s) 

Rationale 

Reflect on the ethical implications of using AI in academic and personal contexts, including issues of privacy, bias, and labor. 

Information Has Value,  
Scholarship as Conversation 

Frames AI as part of broader discussions about justice, equity, and power in knowledge creation. 

Select AI tools that support accessibility and inclusive practices. 

 

Information Has Value 

 

Encourages intentional tool use aligned with universal design and social responsibility. 

 

Participating in the Conversation about AI 

AI Competency 

Mapped ACRL Frame(s) 

Rationale 

Contribute to informed conversations about the role of AI in academic, professional, and everyday contexts. 

Scholarship as Conversation 

Positions students as participants in evolving societal discussions about AI’s impacts. 

Seek out diverse expert perspectives on AI-related issues and evaluate them for credibility. 

Authority Is Constructed and Contextual,  
Research as Inquiry 

Develops habits of questioning and cross-checking across varied sources of authority. 

 

Twelve Generative AI Competencies

Diagram of the 12 generative AI competencies.

Note: Diagram of the 12 generative AI competencies. Reprinted from Annapureddy, R., Fornaroli, A., & Gatica-Perez, D. (2025). Generative AI Literacy: Twelve Defining Competencies. Digit. Gov.: Res. Pract.6(1). https://doi.org/10.1145/3685680

For more details, see Table 3 for these competencies' descriptions, positive implications, and negative implications.

Creative Commons BY-SA icon This RPI Libraries Research Guide is adapted from Vanderbilt University Libraries (current as of November 17, 2025) and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License . You may republish or adapt this guide for educational purposes, as long as proper credit is given. If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under the same license as the original.