Narrative Cognition as a Developmental Foundation for Artificial Intelligence Literacy

Description This article introduces AI Readiness as a developmental educational construct describing the capacities learners require before formal engagement with artificial intelligence systems and generative AI tools. The paper argues that artificial intelligence literacy should not begin with programming, prompting, or direct tool use. It should begin with the prior development of narrative cognition, systems reasoning, uncertainty tolerance, recursive thinking, hidden-state inference, model revision, ethical judgement, and probabilistic reasoning. Using an RSQS framework of relevance, sufficiency, quality, and structure, the article distinguishes AI Readiness from digital literacy, computational thinking, systems thinking, and operational familiarity with AI tools. It proposes a developmental progression for primary and secondary education and identifies eight dimensions of AI Readiness: relational reasoning, recursive reasoning, hidden-state inference, model revision, uncertainty tolerance, emergence recognition, ethical systems reasoning, and intervention foresight. The article also distinguishes expressive augmentation from developmental bypass. Generative AI may assist learners or adults who possess the underlying cognition but experience barriers to expression. However, where foundational literacy, reasoning, or drafting capacities have not yet formed, premature AI use may substitute for rather than scaffold development. The paper proposes cognitive ownership as a central assessment principle. Learners demonstrate ownership when they can explain, defend, modify, transfer, and critically evaluate ideas produced with AI assistance. This work forms Part II of the Narrative Cognition Research Programme.