ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND CRITICAL DIGITAL LITERACY IN SCHOOL: TEACHER MEDIATION, AUTHORSHIP AND ETHICS IN ALGORITHMIC CULTURE

Abstract

The expansion of Artificial Intelligence in educational contexts has generated challenges that go beyond the technical use of digital tools, requiring schools to engage in critical reflection on language, authorship, and ethics in contemporary informational environments. In a culture shaped by permanent connectivity, accelerated content circulation, and algorithmic mediation, it becomes necessary to understand digital literacy as a social and formative practice, linked to intellectual autonomy and citizenship. This theoretical chapter discusses the interfaces between Artificial Intelligence and critical digital literacy in school, emphasizing that mere access to technologies does not ensure critical, ethical, or conscious appropriation. Recent studies highlight the gap between everyday digital practices and the development of interpretative, informational, and discursive competencies, reaffirming the central role of teacher mediation in forming critical readers. Furthermore, generative systems capable of producing automated texts and narratives intensify pedagogical dilemmas related to disinformation, plagiarism, and responsible authorship. International guidelines stress that AI integration in education must be grounded in principles of transparency, justice, and responsibility, ensuring that these technologies serve human development rather than reinforcing inequalities. Grounded in literacy studies, digital culture, and discursive ethics, the chapter argues that critical digital literacy is indispensable for schools to confront the challenges of algorithmic culture and reaffirm their commitment to democratic, ethical, and civic education.