AI Literacy in Practice: Understanding Systems, Assumptions, and Impact

Presented by the Unit for Data Science and Analytics at ASU Library, the AI Literacy open lab will introduce critical approaches to understanding artificial intelligence for a broad academic audience, including students, faculty, and staff with little or no technical background. The session will examine how AI systems, particularly large language models and algorithmic decision-making tools, are trained on data and how they generate outputs, while also interrogating the assumptions embedded in these systems. Participants will learn to recognize AI technologies embedded in everyday tools, including generative AI applications, and will develop the critical skills needed to assess their capabilities, limitations, and impacts. A central focus of the open lab will be critical and responsible AI use. Participants will explore issues such as bias in training data, data privacy, misinformation, and the epistemic limits of AI systems, including hallucinations and overconfidence. Through real-world examples, the open lab will encourage participants to question when AI use is appropriate, when it may be harmful or misleading, and how human judgment, domain expertise, and ethical reasoning remain essential in academic and professional contexts.