Human-Centred AI Literacy in the Arts and Humanities: Interpreting Generative Content, Authorship, Provenance and Cultural Meaning

Abstract

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is increasingly involved in the production, transformation and circulation of cultural content. In the Arts and Humanities, this development raises questions that extend beyond the technical operation of AI systems: how should students, researchers and cultural practitioners evaluate synthetic content; how can provenance and authorship be interpreted when human and machine contributions are intertwined; and what forms of human judgement remain necessary when generative systems can produce convincing text, images, audio and other cultural artefacts? This conceptual paper develops a human-centred framework for AI literacy in the Arts and Humanities. It argues that AI literacy should encompass not only operational competence but also provenance awareness, critical interpretation, verification, ethical reasoning and contextual judgement. Drawing on contemporary guidance on generative AI, intellectual property and human-centred educational practice, the paper develops four interconnected dimensions: generation, interpretation, verification and accountability. The framework positions human verification as a central scholarly practice rather than a final technical check. It also examines changing notions of authorship, authenticity and originality, arguing that these concepts are increasingly better understood through transparent accounts of human contribution, source provenance and editorial responsibility. The paper concludes by proposing a practical AI-literacy model for Arts and Humanities education and research in which generative tools remain subordinate to human judgement, disciplinary knowledge and ethical responsibility.