The Role of Teachers in Leveraging AI to Foster Civic Literacy in the Digital Era

Abstrak

This study aims to examine the role of teachers in utilizing Artificial Intelligence (AI) to develop digital literacy and to analyze the impact of that role on strengthening students’ digital civic literacy. This study employs a descriptive qualitative method using a literature review approach. Data were collected through a systematic search of indexed scientific sources and analyzed using interactive qualitative analysis techniques, which include data collection, data reduction, data presentation, and drawing conclusions. The findings indicate that the role of teachers in utilizing AI has shifted from merely being technology users to becoming designers of adaptive learning, facilitators of critical thinking, and strategic guardians of digital ethics. Through the integration of AI platforms, teachers can functionally enhance digital literacy while delivering civic education content that is contextual, interactive, and relevant to the dynamics of digital society. This role has a significant impact on strengthening students’ cognitive development, particularly in their understanding of rights, obligations, social responsibilities, and awareness of privacy and cybersecurity. However, the internalization of values into the affective and behavioral domains remains heavily dependent on intensive teacher guidance, the integration of Pancasila values, and learning based on critical reflection to prevent technology dependency, maintain academic originality, and ensure the ethical and responsible use of AI all aimed at fostering digital citizens of good character. It is concluded that the success of building digital citizenship literacy in the AI era requires a transformative and humanistic role for teachers, grounded in national values.