AI Literacy versus AI Hacks

I posted about AI literacy versus AI Hacks this morning. Like all posts, they are the tip of the iceberg, there is always more to be said, shared and explored.

What I shared was based on how I currently understand these concepts. It’s rooted in my own use of GenAI tools, and also in the many conversations I’ve had with peers who are experimenting in different ways.

Definitions: Literacy vs Hacks

Let me define how I see it:

AI literacy is the longer road. It’s about choosing to understand how things work. You learn to curate, question, and put information in context. You take ownership of your learning—looking into sources, understanding how outputs are generated, and gradually building a sense of how these tools actually function.

AI hacks, on the other hand, are the shortcuts. These are free tools, prompt generators, cheat sheets, and viral walkthroughs shared by online “experts.” They help you move fast—but you don’t always know the source, the context, or what the agenda behind the advice might be.

Cultural Context: Search Engines and GenAI

I made the comparison to the early days of search engines. Google changed everything. Suddenly, we could access information instantly. But that didn’t make us smarter. It just made things easier to find.

We still had to:

• Ask the right questions

• Evaluate what we were reading

• Sort the useful stuff from the noise

Literacy Comparison Table

So if we bring that into the world of GenAI, here’s how I see it:

Stages of AI Implementation: Where Hacks and Literacy Fit

These behaviours show up differently depending on how far along your organisation is when it comes to AI adoption. Here’s how I’d map them:

AI Analysis Paralysis

What it looks like: The tech exists. People are curious. But IT compliance, risk concerns, or internal policies are holding things back. So the tools sit there - installed, but untouched.

• AI literacy: Very limited. People aren’t learning because they’re not using.

• AI hacks: Rare. People may be aware of them but aren’t allowed to use them.

AI Forming-to-Norming

What it looks like: Some teams are playing. Others are cautious. There’s experimentation happening - but it’s a bit chaotic. There’s no real strategy yet.

• AI literacy: Starting to grow. Some people are digging deeper, learning how to prompt better, or question results more critically.

• AI hacks: Everywhere. Templates, cheat sheets, prompt packs—some helpful, some just noise.

Shadow AI State (aka Chaos Mode)

What it looks like: Tools are being used in every corner of the organisation - but often under the radar. Leadership doesn’t have visibility, and there’s no shared playbook.

• AI literacy: Mixed. Some people know what they’re doing. Others are guessing. There’s no consistent baseline.

• AI hacks: Very common. And without guardrails, they can amplify both productivity and risk.

Final thought

Knowing where you are in this journey isn’t just about what tools you’ve bought - it’s about how people are actually using them. It’s about whether you’re building short-term wins, long-term capability - or hopefully, both.

And like most things in life, it’s not either/or. Hacks have their place. But literacy? That’s what gives you, me, and everyone, staying power.