Reconceptualizing artificial intelligence literacy as a communication-centered practice: A systematic review

Artificial intelligence (AI) literacy has become a central topic in communication research as AI transforms how people communicate, interpret information, and perform professional tasks. Despite growing scholarly attention, research on AI literacy remains fragmented and predominantly focused on individual technical competencies. This systematic review synthesizes 131 peer-reviewed studies retrieved from Scopus, Web of Science Core Collection, ERIC, and ScienceDirect, with the final search executed on January 15, 2026. The review distinguishes functional AI literacy, understood as operational tool use, from communicative AI literacy, understood as meaning negotiation, critical evaluation, ethical deliberation, and contextual interpretation. The distinction is complementary rather than binary: communicative AI literacy extends and reframes functional competence within social, institutional, and public contexts. Findings show that most studies treat AI literacy as individual competence, while collective sensemaking, ethical discourse, and contextual negotiation remain underdeveloped. The article proposes an analytically derived communication-centered framework across micro, meso, and macro levels and identifies priorities for future empirical validation, curriculum design, workplace training, and policy development.