UNESCO launches AI-focused media and information literacy guide

A guide for an AI-shaped information environment

AI Answers. You Decide., Teaching Media and Information Literacy in AI-Mediated Information Environments is intended primarily for educators, teacher-training institutions and curriculum developers. UNESCO introduced the publication during Global Media and Information Literacy Week 2026, held from 24, 31 October.

The publication is part of UNESCO's efforts to help education systems adapt to a rapidly changing digital environment. It builds on the organisation's flagship Media and Information Literacy curriculum, Media and Information Literate Citizens: Think Critically, Click Wisely!, which was launched in 2021 and later piloted and adapted in more than 40 countries.

Developed in collaboration with eight international experts and peer-reviewed by ten additional specialists, the companion guide combines conceptual explanations with discussion questions, practical activities and examples that educators can adapt to different educational contexts.

Five areas for understanding AI's impact

The guide examines five interconnected areas. The first, AI in everyday life, covers AI systems, their applications and the role of personal data. AI and the media looks at how the technology is changing journalism, content creation and access to information.

A third area, AI, the human mind and knowledge, focuses on critical thinking, informed trust and evaluating AI-generated information. AI, power and human rights addresses algorithmic bias, inequalities, sustainability and the wider social implications of AI. The final area, AI and the future, encourages learners to participate in shaping inclusive and human-centred AI futures.

UNESCO says generative AI can produce convincing texts, images, audios and videos, while algorithms increasingly influence the content people encounter online. These developments create opportunities for learning, creativity and access to information, but also raise questions about reliability, authenticity, privacy, algorithmic bias and transparency.

Why critical judgment remains central

The curriculum is not presented as a technical manual for specific AI tools. Instead, it explores the systems and interests behind the technology, its limitations and its effects on society. UNESCO says Media and Information Literacy gives learners a framework for considering these issues, beyond simply learning how to use AI.

“AI does not change the foundations of media and information literacy, but the environment in which we apply them,” Anne Leppäjärvi, the guide's author, said. “The goal is not to keep up with every technological change, but to equip learners with the critical thinking skills to navigate an ever-evolving information environment.”

Mariya Gabriel, UNESCO's Assistant-Director General for Communication and Information, said people must retain the ability to think critically, question what they see and make informed choices. For educators and learners, the guide therefore offers a way to address AI-mediated information through adaptable lessons and activities, while keeping independent judgment at the centre.