Artificial Intelligence, Ideology, and Literacy: A Multilectal Framework for Empowering Criticality in Adult Education

Literacy has been associated with greater economic prosperity and is considered a key component of the corporate approach to human resource development. A more critical perspective is Paulo Freire’s banking education concept that removes criticality from a learner’s repertoire and facilitates alignment with the prevalent liberal education and its hegemonic objectives. Drawing on the concept of banking education, it is suggested that this approach trains marginalized learners to accept the dominant social structures imposed upon them. To develop as critical readers, writers, and most importantly, critical thinkers, learners must be able to recognize and navigate the ideological nature of literacy and understand how it contributes to the creation and exercise of power. With Big Tech, market-logic literacy has just become much more powerful. With the rise of Big Tech and cloud capital, precaritization of the masses and further serfitude is inevitable. The focus of this chapter is on multilectal or multilevel literary criticality across different cultures and ideologies. Multilectal criticality has become a necessity and needs to become a key component of Adult Education.