In the era of transformative technologies, generative artificial intelligence (genAI) offers profound opportunities and challenges for education. This study explores the development and execution of an interactive workshop designed to equip educators with foundational genAI literacy. Using a design-based research (DBR) framework, the workshop leverages interactivity and contextual relevance to introduce genAI concepts, prompting strategies and ethical considerations. Participants engaged in a scripted learning workshop design, comparing human and AI responses, exploring genAI’s probabilistic foundations, context dependency, and vulnerability to manipulation. Conducted across 12 workshops with 191 participants in Austria, this study revealed significant improvements in self-perceived genAI understanding, with 70% of participants reporting better grades in post-assessment evaluations. Feedback emphasized the workshop’s strengths in interactivity and relevance, alongside recommendations for deeper school-specific applications. Scalability analysis showed that workshop duration remained consistent regardless of group size, suggesting potential for broader implementation. The findings highlight the effectiveness of scripted learning workshop design in fostering critical AI literacy, preparing educators to critically evaluate and ethically integrate genAI into pedagogical practices. This adaptable model contributes to the discourse on professional development in AI-enhanced education.

This systematic literature review analyses AI literacy, focusing on the required competencies for, the obstacles arising from, and the benefits of, Generative AI (GenAI) in the fields of education and business. The analysis uses the PRISMA 2020 methodology with data from the SCOPUS and ERIC databases. A total of 538 articles were identified; of these, 206 were included after the full-text screening phase. Of those 206, only 33% (education) and 29% (business) were based on empirical research, highlighting the predominantly conceptual state of research. Using a combination of inductive coding and GenAI (ChatGPT-4o) validation, we identified AI literacy as a multidimensional concept comprising technical competencies (e.g. algorithmic literacy and prompt engineering), personal and interpersonal competencies (e.g. adaptability and collaboration), and ethical and critical thinking competencies (e.g. awareness of bias and ethical reflection). While educational literature emphasised pedagogical applications such as adaptive feedback and inclusive curriculum design, business research focused on process automation and data-driven decision-making. Top three identified obstacles included hallucinations, ethics and plagiarism, which manifested differently in contexts such as student assessment and personnel selection. Addressing these challenges will require targeted training modules, ethical governance structures, and institutional support in the form of faculty development programmes or workplace reskilling initiatives. Top three identified benefits of GenAI literacy training are described as critical thinking, personalized teaching and learning and personalized feedback across sectors.