WTM-CIVIC EDUCATION & SOCIAL POLICY | WEEKEND
IN THE AGE OF AI, KNOWING IS NOT ENOUGH—WE MUST KNOW HOW TO QUESTION, INSTRUCT AND JUDGE
By Adveline J Minja | WTM September 12th, 2026
This week, UNESCO brought together 50 young Tanzanians for its inaugural UN Youth Masterclass on Media and Information Literacy, AI and Responsible Digital Participation.
That initiative raises a much larger question for education and society.
Never before have so many people had so much information within reach.
A phone can take us from a classroom in Tanzania to a university lecture, government report, breaking-news story or conversation on the other side of the world within seconds.
Artificial intelligence has expanded that access even further.
But access to information is not the same as understanding information.
And perhaps that is where another kind of literacy is emerging in the age of AI: knowing how to question, instruct and judge the technology we use.
We must know how to question what AI gives us—to verify information, compare sources, challenge assumptions, recognize what may be missing and ask whether an answer makes sense.
We must know how to instruct it—to provide context, explain our purpose, define what we need, set boundaries, correct direction and refine the exchange. Knowing how to ask AI for an answer is one thing; knowing how to guide it toward what we actually need is another.
And then comes perhaps the most important responsibility:
The human remains the judge.
AI can generate an answer, organize information, suggest alternatives and even challenge our thinking. But it does not relieve us of the responsibility to decide whether what it produces is accurate, appropriate, ethical, relevant or useful.
Our knowledge, experience, values and context still matter. Ultimately, we remain responsible for what we choose to believe, use and share.
QUESTION. INSTRUCT. JUDGE.
These are no longer questions or skills only for journalists, researchers, technology specialists or academics.
They are becoming everyday civic skills.
Young people growing up in today’s digital environment will encounter genuine information alongside misinformation, manipulated images, persuasive algorithms, AI-generated content and opinions presented as facts.
Teaching someone how to use technology, therefore, may no longer be enough.
We must also strengthen the ability to question, compare, verify, reason and reflect before accepting or sharing information.
Perhaps the definition of literacy itself is changing.
Reading and writing remain fundamental. Digital literacy matters. But in an information-rich society, critical thinking may increasingly become part of what it means to be an informed citizen.
And perhaps the question for the AI generation is no longer simply:
Do you know how to use AI?
But also:
Do you know how to think while using it?
WTM Reflection: Should questioning, instructing and exercising independent judgment when using AI become part of digital literacy and civic education—and where should that learning begin: at home, in school, online, or across all three?
Read the story that prompted our reflection:UNESCO — Every young person deserves a voice—and a safe space online
Independent Media. Civic Education. Strategic Commentary. Principled Analysis.
#WisdomThrivesMedia #CivicEducation #CriticalThinking #ArtificialIntelligence #DigitalLiteracy #Youth #Tanzania
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