GenAI Literacy: Is it an epistemological break or transformative continuity?

Abstract

The proliferation of publications on Generative AI Literacy (GenAIL) between 2023 and 2024 prompts a fundamental question: does it constitute a genuinely novel construct, or is it an evolution of classical AI Literacy (AIL)? The present article puts forward a historical analysis divided into three phases: archaeology of AIL (pre-2016), development and diffusion (2016-2022), and generative turn (post-2022). A comparative framework analysis reveals a dialectical answer: operational discontinuity within epistemological continuity. Five dimensions have been identified as persistent: technical understanding, practical use, critical evaluation, ethical awareness, and the contextual dimension. In addition to these, three dimensions have emerged as radically novel: prompt engineering, collaborative metacognition, and augmented creativity. GenAIL signifies an integrative reconfiguration that preserves the fundamental cores of AIL, transforming them through new modes of interaction with conversational generative systems.