Advanced AI literacy
From awareness to competence
Article 4 of the AI Act requires providers and deployers of AI systems to take measures supporting the development of AI literacy among their staff and all other persons dealing with the operation and use of AI systems on their behalf. Measures must consider their technical knowledge, experience, education and training, the context of use, and the persons or groups on whom the systems are used. The duty does not require guaranteeing a specific level of literacy for any individual. It does not prescribe buying a particular course or obtaining a certificate. The European Commission’s questions and answers explain the approach.
The following stages are a learning aid within this methodology, not a legal classification or evidence of compliance.
| Stage | Description | Framework connection |
|---|---|---|
| Basic awareness | A person knows about AI and the organisation’s rules | L1 — Align |
| Functional literacy | A person can use AI for simple tasks | L1 — Align → L2 — Transform |
| Active competence | A person integrates AI into everyday work | L2 — Transform |
| Expert practice | A person improves processes with AI | L2 — Transform → L3 — Innovate |
What a governance foundation can cover
L1 — Align helps prepare policies and supporting materials for safe AI use. Its scope is agreed for each engagement; documentation or training alone does not guarantee regulatory compliance. The foundation can include:
- understanding what AI is and the rules for using it;
- internal policies and guidelines;
- basic training in safe AI use.
What to build on: General rules need practice for a particular role. Learning in L2 — Transform can address giving instructions, choosing tools and integrating AI into work processes.
What to develop in L2 — Transform
Practical skills
- Prompt engineering: give instructions that help produce relevant results.
- Tool selection: understand tools relevant to a particular profession.
- Critical thinking: assess the quality of an AI output.
Ways of working
- Move from occasional use towards purposeful integration into a workflow.
- Develop iterative collaboration: provide context, review and refine.
- Learn how to improve a result instead of treating AI as something that simply works or fails.
Benefits to evaluate
- Productivity: measure time to a usable result, including review and corrections.
- Quality: compare errors and usability with a process that does not use AI.
- Innovation: test new approaches on a specific problem and assess their value.
Connect policies with practice
| L1 — Align | L2 — Transform |
|---|---|
| Awareness of AI | Practical skills for using AI |
| Written policies | Applying rules in work |
| Initial learning activities | Continuing development |
| Understanding responsibilities | Practising and reviewing tasks |
A useful reason to continue is: “We have policies, but we need to find out how they help people in their work.” Buying L1 — Align is not a general condition for independent study or entry to every course. A licensed course’s issuer sets that programme’s entry requirements.
Next steps
- The AI-Native individual — the four competencies in detail.
- Prompt engineering — a practical starting point.
- Courses and certification — current options and conditions.