The digital revolution was just the beginning of the revolution of artificial intelligence (AI), which is cur-rently encroaching upon all areas of our lives.
In schools and universities, however, there is a great need for teaching which suitably prepares learn-ers for the new competencies the AI era demands. This article introduces research literature on a new form of literacy, that of ‘AI-literacy’, which has so far focused on the conceptualisation and discussion of relevant topic-based curricula and on evaluating first attempts at course design. In this article I therefore draw on the extensive topic lists around AI literacy proposed by Long & Magerko (2020) and others. These catalogues are contrasted with the more abstract and thus considerably more flexible categories of digital literacy (per se) as complex social practices according to Knopf et al. (2020).
I suggest corresponding AI competencies which can themselves be grouped into 5 dimensions in alignment with Knopf et al.
Drawing on my foundational research in (psycho-)linguistics, I identify the need for one further, espe-cially important requirement in the shape of an additional AI competency not yet separately discussed in the literature. This is ‘linguistic user awareness’ (or, to use the German designation, ‘Linguistische User:innen-Bewusstheit’), which I characterise as a new form of language awareness and reflexive AI competency. My article concludes with broad suggestions as to how ‘linguistic user awareness can be practised in the classroom.