Copy, Paste, Innovate: Leveraging Sentiment Analysis and Interviews to Uncover AIGC Literacy among China's Youth

The rapid adoption of AI‐generated content (AIGC) tools among China's youth highlights a critical gap in understanding the literacy required to navigate this technological revolution. While existing research emphasizes technical and industrial implications, few studies address the multidimensional literacy frameworks needed for responsible AIGC engagement. This study investigates AIGC literacy by combining sentiment analysis of 4,000 Zhihu comments with semi‐structured interviews involving 30 young participants. The approach reveals significant sentiment variations across topics, urban hierarchies, and tool releases, offering a layered view of how public perceptions evolve in response to contextual and technological shifts. Meanwhile, qualitative data uncover key literacy dimensions, including technical proficiency, ethical awareness, and critical thinking. Findings indicate a nuanced sentiment landscape: 50.7% neutral, 27.3% positive, and 22.0% negative, with urban development and tool launches significantly influencing perceptions. The study contributes a foundational framework for measuring AIGC literacy, bridging theoretical and practical gaps. Implications extend to policymakers and educators, offering insights to design targeted interventions that foster responsible AIGC use among digitally native populations. By integrating empirical data with qualitative depth, this research advances global discourse on AI literacy in diverse sociocultural contexts.