Overview

In May 2025, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the European Commission (EC) released a review draft (final version is pending):  Empowering Learners for the Age of AI: An AI Literacy Framework for Primary and Secondary Education.

The framework was developed jointly by the OECD and the EC, with support from Code.org and an expert group including educators, researchers, and technologists from multiple countries (Canada, USA, Uruguay, Germany, France, Croatia, etc.).

The purpose of the framework is to define global AI literacy standards for school-aged children, equipping them to use, understand, create with, and critically engage with AI. It sets benchmarks for policy, curriculum, teaching, and assessment, intending to prepare students for life and work in an AI-driven future.

The framework outlines essential knowledge, skills, and attitudes structured around four core domains: (1) Engage with AI, (2) Create with AI, (3) Manage AI, and (4) Design AI. These domains are broken into 22 specific competencies that emphasize technical concepts (like how AI works), critical thinking, ethics, and human-centered perspectives. It includes classroom scenarios and guidance for educators to integrate AI literacy across subjects such as mathematics, social sciences, and computer science.

The framework is expected to be used in several applications:

• Policy: As the foundation for PISA 2029’s Media & AI Literacy assessment, to help evaluate student competencies internationally.
• EU education plans: To align with the Digital Education Action Plan 2021–2027, the European Union AI Act (ensuring AI literacy among users of AI systems), and the 2023 Council Recommendations on digital education.
• Global curriculum guidance: By teachers, education leaders, policymakers, and curriculum developers in classrooms worldwide to embed AI literacy in school curricula.

There are AI literacy counterparts (regional and national) in other nations that informed the OECD–EC framework such as:

• UNESCO’s AI Competencies for Students/Teachers
• Digital Promise AI Literacy Framework
• The AI4K12 "Big 5" AI ideas from the USA

Background

AI is a widely used tool for learning and use across numerous industry sectors. Individuals and organizations are asking chatbots questions, seeing recommended content on social media, and receiving language translations generated by AI.

In industries, surgeons are using AI-powered robotic assistants to perform precise surgeries; AI-driven robots are managing assembly lines; and some farmers are flying AI-powered drones to monitor crop health and apply fertilizers precisely. In education, AI tools are supporting teachers and students through interactive and personalized learning opportunities.

Despite the rapid growth in the use of AI, few education systems are preparing learners to engage deeply with AI, and understand how to use AI safely.

The new framework developed by the OECD and the EC aims to meet the need to integrate AI literacy across school subjects in order to teach students to use AI tools, co-create with them, and reflect on responsible and ethical use. The framework is also aimed at engaging educators and school leaders in AI literacy, especially to enable better assessment of students’ understanding of AI, and broader issues like privacy concerns and digital citizenship with clear, measurable benchmarks.

Resources

BABL AI. (2025, May 27). OECD and European Commission unveil draft AI literacy framework for schools. https://babl.ai/oecd-and-european-commission-unveil-draft-ai-literacy-framework-for-schools/

Media & Learning Association. (2025). OECD and EC launch AI literacy framework for schools. https://media-and-learning.eu/subject/artificial-intelligence/oecd-and-ec-launch-ai-literacy-framework-for-schools/

OECD & European Commission. (2025, May 22). Empowering learners for the age of AI: An AI literacy framework for primary and secondary education (Review draft). OECD. https://ailiteracyframework.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/AILitFramework_ReviewDraft.pdf

OECD Education and Skills Today. (2025, April 29). New AI literacy framework to equip youth in an age of AI. OECD.  https://oecdedutoday.com/new-ai-literacy-framework-to-equip-youth-in-an-age-of-ai/

TeachAI. (2025). Empowering learners for the age of AI: AI Literacy framework. TeachAI. https://www.teachai.org/ailiteracy