AI-LITERATE Project Promotes AI Literacy in Higher Education with Lucia Mesquita

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Artificial intelligence is transforming the way people study, teach and acquire knowledge. However, amid the opportunities it offers and the risks it raises, one question is becoming increasingly important in higher education: how can reliable information be distinguished from inaccurate content or material fabricated by these tools?

It is in this context that AI-LITERATE – Upskilling Higher Education in the Age of Generative AI and Disinformation emerges, a European project bringing together universities and organisations from five countries, including Lusófona University. Its aim is to strengthen AI literacy within the academic community, with particular attention to disinformation, ethics and academic integrity.

“Disinformation is no longer confined to a single country. It crosses borders and influences public debate in different contexts”, explains Lucia Mesquita, a postdoctoral researcher at Lusófona University and the project's PI (Principal Investigator). The increasing sophistication of AI-generated content makes it harder to identify and poses new challenges for university life.

For the researcher at the Centre for Research in Applied Communication, Culture and New Technologies (CICANT), disinformation should not be regarded solely as an issue external to the university, as it can also affect relationships between students and lecturers, the classroom environment and learning itself. She therefore argues that this discussion needs to be brought into the academic environment, based on scientific knowledge and without reducing the debate to a fear of technology.

One of the main anticipated outcomes of AI-LITERATE is the development of an AI literacy course, which can be taken independently, with the possibility of certification, or integrated into existing curricular units. The materials are expected to be made available in several languages, extending their reach beyond the participating countries.

The project also includes a practical initiative, the Media Lab, which will give young students the opportunity to take part in creating content using artificial intelligence tools in a collaborative and supervised environment. The initiative is expected to take place in Zagreb, Croatia, in 2027, with competitions planned to select participants.

Alongside these activities, the research seeks to identify gaps between public guidelines and policies on artificial intelligence and their practical implementation in higher education institutions. The challenges identified include the need to address disinformation more directly and to ensure that different groups within the academic community have access to the tools and knowledge needed to use them.

Choosing the right tool, clearly defining the objective and checking the results are some of the precautions that Lucia Mesquita considers essential when using artificial intelligence. Generated responses may contain errors, present contradictory information or include references that do not exist. It is therefore essential to understand the subject being examined and verify sources.

Rather than simply setting limits on the use of artificial intelligence, AI-LITERATE aims to promote an informed, ethical and responsible approach that acknowledges the risks without overlooking the opportunities. In a context where these tools play an increasingly important role in the production and circulation of knowledge, collaboration between institutions and the development of skills within the academic community are essential to addressing the challenges ahead.

Scheduled for completion in September 2027, the project aims to provide learning tools, scientific knowledge and recommendations to support the responsible integration of artificial intelligence into European higher education.

Credits

Text
Susana A. Oliveira

Production / Reporting
Bruna Pereira
Gabriel Motta
Susana A. Oliveira

Image
Paulo Renato
Gabriel Motta

Editing
Gabriel Motta