Less knowledge, more trust? Exploring potentially uncritical attitudes towards AI in higher education

Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to transform various aspects of our lives, but its development has been accompanied by several social and ethical concerns. To comprehend the implications andunderlying mechanisms, it is essential to acquire a broad understanding of its benefits and drawbacks. To this purpose, AI literacy is a fundamental driver for more aware attitudes towards AI development and implications. However, AI literacy research is still in its infancy. To contribute to advances in the sector, this paper presents the results of a study aimed at assessing students’ AI literacy in the context of higher education, focusing on doctoral students. A survey on AI literacy was performed in four dimensions: cognitive, operational, critical and ethical. The results show that while participants had little AI knowledge, they were overconfident of the technology’s capabilities. The study highlights the need for a more comprehensive approach to AI literacy that encompasses a deeper understanding of its ethical, social and economic implications.