The Council of Europe has adopted a recommendation to the governments of its 46 member states aimed at helping pupils, students, teachers, parents, workers and citizens of all ages to understand artificial intelligence (AI), use it responsibly and recognise where it can threaten human rights, democracy and the rule of law.
Adopted by the Committee of Ministers during its meeting in Monaco this week, the recommendation places education at the centre of Europe's response to AI. It gives concrete effect to Article 20 of the Framework Convention on artificial intelligence and human rights, democracy and the rule of law, which commits states parties to promoting digital literacy and skills.
The Committee of Ministers calls on governments to promote AI literacy throughout the education system and society, ensuring that it is progressively made available to all segments of the population. It specifically calls for providing education, training and continuous professional development on AI literacy for public officials and other relevant professionals, with particular attention to education professionals.
AI is a sociotechnical phenomenon
The recommendation defines AI not simply as a technology but as a sociotechnical phenomenon: the systems themselves, as well as the people, institutions, policies, and social practices that shape how they are designed and used. AI literacy, therefore, means understanding AI's effects on society, not just knowing how the tools work.
This sets the recommendation apart from other AI-literacy frameworks, which mainly focus on technical skills and reflects the Council of Europe's long-standing conviction that education is one of the pillars of democracy.
The human dimension of AI
The recommendation offers member states a coherent framework of 22 guiding principles, organised around four themes: foundational understanding of AI; human rights and human dignity; democracy and the rule of law; and social agency and critical thinking. These rest on a three-dimensional model of AI literacy that encompasses the human, technological, and practical dimensions of AI.
Particular weight is given to the human dimension: human dignity, social agency, privacy, autonomy, equity and non-discrimination, together with AI's wider implications for well-being, social justice, sustainable development and the environment.
Seven operational recommendations, grouped under governance, curricula, teaching and assessment, professional development, higher education and research, and public awareness, aim to guide member states in translating these principles into policy and practice in classrooms, universities, and society at large.
Read the AI recommendation in full
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