“It's Like They Are Using Our Data Against Us.” Counter‐Cartographies of AI Literacy

Abstract

This study explores how youth engage with literacy practices in the age of AI through the use of counter‐cartographies within the Nayah‐Irú curriculum. By critically examining digital platforms and the underlying algorithms, students embarked on a journey to understand and challenge the pervasive influence of artificial intelligence in their lives. The curriculum encouraged students to create alternative narratives (counter‐maps) that represent their unique experiences and perspectives, challenging the dominant discourses around technology and power. This process of counter‐mapping served as a powerful tool for fostering critical literacy and agency among the youth, enabling them to envision and advocate for transformative changes in their relationship with digital technologies. Educators played a key role in guiding these explorations, emphasizing the importance of a community‐centered approach to literacy that incorporates real‐world scenarios and addresses the socio‐cultural dynamics of AI. Through counter‐cartographies of AI literacy, students not only critiqued existing digital structures but also imagined new possibilities for engagement and resistance, highlighting the potential for youth to actively shape the discourse and practice of literacy practices in digital platforms.