Artificial intelligence literacy in social research: A bibliometric analysis of conceptual evolution and emerging trends

Abstract

In contemporary digital society, artificial intelligence literacy (AI literacy) has become a key competence that enables citizens to understand and actively participate in increasingly automated environments. However, despite the rapid growth of scientific output, partly driven by tools such as ChatGPT, the literature reveals substantial conceptual fragmentation that hinders an integrated understanding of its educational and ethical dimensions. In this context, this study aimed to analyze the intellectual evolution and conceptual structure of research on AI literacy, based on Scopus-indexed literature. A bibliometric methodology was applied to a corpus of 2,645 documents using scientific mapping techniques to identify publication patterns, collaboration networks, and dominant thematic streams. The results reveal an accelerated expansion of the field and a shift from early approaches focused primarily on educational contexts such as K-12 education and computational thinking toward more complex frameworks that incorporate algorithmic ethics, psychological acceptance of technology, critical thinking, and academic integrity challenges associated with generative AI (GenAI). Overall, this study contributes to the educational technology literature by providing a longitudinal bibliometric interpretation of the evolution of AI literacy and by identifying emerging research agendas related to GenAI, ethical reasoning, and critical digital competencies in contemporary education.