pith. sign in

arxiv: 2405.18179 · v2 · pith:Q373WYUPnew · submitted 2024-05-28 · 💻 cs.CY

Rethinking the A in STEAM: Insights from and for AI Literacy Education

Pith reviewed 2026-05-24 01:20 UTC · model grok-4.3

classification 💻 cs.CY
keywords AI literacySTEAM educationarts integrationK-12 educationAI ethicsgenerative AIeducational strategiesequitable technology
0
0 comments X

The pith

Integrating arts into STEAM education equips K-12 students with critical tools to understand and shape AI.

A machine-rendered reading of the paper's core claim, the machinery that carries it, and where it could break.

The paper argues that the arts component of STEAM has been undervalued in AI education and proposes four domains—language studies, philosophy, social studies, and visual arts—as essential for building a fuller picture of AI. Each domain targets specific issues such as media portrayals of AI, anthropomorphism and ethics, societal biases in data use, and effects on artistic creation and ownership. Pedagogical strategies are outlined to weave these perspectives into classroom practice. A sympathetic reader would see this as a way to move beyond narrow technical training toward education that supports fairer and more creative AI development.

Core claim

By structuring AI literacy around language studies (media representations and probabilistic models), philosophy (anthropomorphism, ethics, and human-like claims), social studies (societal impacts, biases, and data practices), and visual arts (generative AI effects on processes and intellectual property), the arts can be repositioned as central rather than marginal in STEAM, producing a holistic, equitable, and sustainable grasp of AI that encourages technologies aligned with fairness and creativity.

What carries the argument

Four domains—language studies, philosophy, social studies, and visual arts—used as lenses to examine distinct AI-related phenomena and supply targeted pedagogical strategies.

If this is right

  • Students develop awareness of how language models shape public views of AI.
  • Classroom discussion challenges assumptions that AI thinks or feels like humans.
  • Learners recognize how data practices embed societal biases.
  • Young people consider ownership and originality questions raised by generative tools.
  • Future AI development is guided by values of equity and creative expression.

Where Pith is reading between the lines

These are editorial extensions of the paper, not claims the author makes directly.

  • School districts could revise STEAM standards to require explicit arts integration for any AI-related unit.
  • Teacher preparation programs might add cross-training so language, philosophy, social studies, and art instructors collaborate on AI topics.
  • Long-term tracking of students exposed to these methods could test whether they enter technology fields with different priorities around fairness.

Load-bearing premise

That the four domains each handle separate critical AI issues and that the listed teaching approaches will produce measurable gains in AI literacy when used in K-12 classrooms.

What would settle it

A controlled classroom trial that measures changes in students' ability to identify AI biases, question anthropomorphic claims, and consider ethical data practices, comparing groups taught with the four-domain arts strategies against groups taught without them.

read the original abstract

This article rethinks the role of arts in STEAM education, emphasizing its importance in AI literacy within K-12 contexts. Arguing against the marginalization of arts, the paper is structured around four key domains: language studies, philosophy, social studies, and visual arts. Each section addresses critical AI-related phenomena and provides pedagogical strate-gies for effective integration into STEAM education. Language studies focus on media representations and the probabilistic nature of AI language models. The philosophy section examines anthropomorphism, ethics, and the misconstrued human-like capabilities of AI. Social studies discuss AI's societal impacts, biases, and ethical considerations in data prac-tices. Visual arts explore the implications of generative AI on artistic processes and intellec-tual property. The article concludes by advocating for a robust inclusion of arts in STEAM to foster a holistic, equitable, and sustainable understanding of AI, ultimately inspiring technologies that promote fairness and creativity.

Editorial analysis

A structured set of objections, weighed in public.

Desk editor's note, referee report, simulated authors' rebuttal, and a circularity audit. Tearing a paper down is the easy half of reading it; the pith above is the substance, this is the friction.

Referee Report

0 major / 2 minor

Summary. The paper argues for a robust integration of the arts ('A') into STEAM education to advance AI literacy in K-12 settings. It organizes the case around four domains—language studies (media representations and probabilistic language models), philosophy (anthropomorphism, ethics, and human-like AI capabilities), social studies (societal impacts, biases, and data ethics), and visual arts (generative AI effects on artistic processes and intellectual property)—and supplies pedagogical strategies for each to promote holistic, equitable, and sustainable AI understanding that encourages fair and creative technologies.

Significance. If adopted, the structured four-domain framework could help educators move beyond narrow technical views of AI by foregrounding interpretive, ethical, and creative dimensions. The paper's value lies in its explicit mapping of arts domains to concrete AI phenomena and its normative call for balanced STEAM curricula; however, as a perspective piece offering no empirical tests, controlled comparisons, or outcome data, its influence would depend on subsequent validation by practitioners and researchers.

minor comments (2)
  1. Abstract: hyphenated line-break artifacts appear in 'strate-gies' and 'intellec-tual'; these should be corrected for the published version.
  2. The manuscript would benefit from a short explicit statement (perhaps in the introduction or conclusion) clarifying whether the four domains are intended to be mutually exclusive or deliberately overlapping in their treatment of AI phenomena.

Simulated Author's Rebuttal

0 responses · 0 unresolved

We thank the referee for their positive assessment of the manuscript and for recommending minor revision. No specific major comments were provided in the report, so we have no points requiring direct response or revision at this stage.

Circularity Check

0 steps flagged

No significant circularity in normative advocacy paper

full rationale

The paper is a perspective/advocacy piece structured around four domains (language studies, philosophy, social studies, visual arts) with associated pedagogical strategies for AI literacy in K-12 STEAM education. It advances no empirical claims, quantitative predictions, formal derivations, equations, or fitted parameters. The central claim is normative (arts should be robustly included to foster holistic AI literacy) rather than descriptive or predictive. No self-citation chains, self-definitional steps, or reductions of results to inputs by construction are present. The argument rests on stated domain assumptions and external literature rather than circular reasoning.

Axiom & Free-Parameter Ledger

0 free parameters · 1 axioms · 0 invented entities

The paper is a conceptual education piece that relies on domain assumptions about the unique value of arts perspectives; it introduces no free parameters, mathematical axioms, or new physical entities.

axioms (1)
  • domain assumption Arts domains supply distinct critical insights into AI phenomena that are not adequately covered by science, technology, engineering, and mathematics alone.
    Invoked throughout the four sections as the justification for restructuring STEAM.

pith-pipeline@v0.9.0 · 5697 in / 1235 out tokens · 32632 ms · 2026-05-24T01:20:33.991269+00:00 · methodology

discussion (0)

Sign in with ORCID, Apple, or X to comment. Anyone can read and Pith papers without signing in.

Reference graph

Works this paper leans on

58 extracted references · 58 canonical work pages · 1 internal anchor

  1. [1]

    Cureus 15(4), e37432 (2023)

    Athaluri, S.A., Manthena, S.V., Kesapragada, V.K.M., Yarlagadda, V., Dave, T., Duddumpudi, R.T.S.: Exploring the boundaries of reality: investigating the phenomenon of artificial intelligence hallucination in scientific writing through ChatGPT references. Cureus 15(4), e37432 (2023). https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.37432

  2. [2]

    https://laion.ai/blog/laion-5b/ (2022)

    Beaumont, R.: LAION -5B: a new era of open large -scale multi-modal da- tasets. https://laion.ai/blog/laion-5b/ (2022)

  3. [3]

    610-623 (2021)

    Bender, E.M., Gebru, T., McMillan-Major, A., Shmitchell, S.: On the dangers of stochastic parrots: Can language models be too big? In: Proceedings of the 2021 ACM Conference on Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency, pp. 610-623 (2021)

  4. [4]

    In: Arendt, H

    Benjamin, W.: The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. In: Arendt, H. (ed.) Illuminations. Schocken Books, New York (1935)

  5. [5]

    The Royal Society

    Cave, S., Craig, C., Dihal, K., Dillon, S., Montgomery, J., Singler, B., Taylor, L.: Portrayals and perceptions of AI and why they matter. The Royal Society. https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.34502 (2018)

  6. [6]

    Interactive Learning Environments, 1-20 (2023)

    Chang, Y.S., Wang, Y.Y., Ku, Y.T.: Influence of online STEAM hands -on learning on AI learning, creativity, and creative emotions. Interactive Learning Environments, 1-20 (2023)

  7. [7]

    Yale University Press, New Haven (2021)

    Crawford, K.: The Atlas of AI: Power, Politics, and the Planetary Costs of Artificial Intelligence. Yale University Press, New Haven (2021)

  8. [8]

    Educational Studies 53(6), 551-559 (2017)

    de Freitas, E., Lupinacci, J., Pais, A.: Science and technology studies× educa- tional studies: Critical and creative perspectives on the future of STEM edu- cation. Educational Studies 53(6), 551-559 (2017)

  9. [9]

    MIT Press, Cambridge (2020)

    D’Ignazio, C., Klein, L.F.: Data Feminism. MIT Press, Cambridge (2020)

  10. [10]

    Journal of the Canadian Association for Curriculum Studies 1(2) (2003)

    Dissanayake, E.: The core of art —Making special. Journal of the Canadian Association for Curriculum Studies 1(2) (2003). https://jcacs.jour- nals.yorku.ca/index.php/jcacs/article/download/16856/15662

  11. [11]

    In: Proceedings of the Mini -Conference on Transdiscipli- nary Research and Design (TRaD 2022): 14th February 2022, University of Oulu (online)

    Durall, E., Carter, C., Burns, K.: Transdisciplinary education and innovation through STEAM. In: Proceedings of the Mini -Conference on Transdiscipli- nary Research and Design (TRaD 2022): 14th February 2022, University of Oulu (online). Oulun yliopisto, Oulu (2022)

  12. [12]

    Journal of Experimental Psychology: Ap- plied 20(4), 323 (2014)

    Ecker, U.K., Lewandowsky, S., Chang, E.P., Pillai, R.: The effects of subtle misinformation in news headlines. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Ap- plied 20(4), 323 (2014)

  13. [13]

    https://www.journalofdemocracy.org/articles/the-freedom-house-survey-for- 2020-democracy-in-a-year-of-crisis/ (2023)

    European Parliament: Artificial intelligence, democracy and elections. https://www.journalofdemocracy.org/articles/the-freedom-house-survey-for- 2020-democracy-in-a-year-of-crisis/ (2023)

  14. [14]

    Frontiers in Education 7, 948783 (2022)

    Fagerlund, J., Leino, K., Kiuru, N., Niilo -Rämä, M.: Finnish teachers’ and students’ programming motivation and their role in teaching and learning computational thinking. Frontiers in Education 7, 948783 (2022)

  15. [15]

    Princeton University Press, Princeton (2005) Rethinking the ‘A’ in STEAM: Insights from and for AI Literacy Education 13

    Frankfurt, H.G.: On Bullshit. Princeton University Press, Princeton (2005) Rethinking the ‘A’ in STEAM: Insights from and for AI Literacy Education 13

  16. [16]

    MIT Technology Review

    Heikkilä, M.: This new data poisoning tool lets artists fight back against gen- erative AI. MIT Technology Review. https://www.technolo- gyreview.com/2023/10/23/1082189/data-poisoning-artists-fight-generative- ai/ (2023)

  17. [17]

    Educational Studies 53(6), 614 -627 (2017)

    Heybach, J., Pickup, A.: Whose STEM? Disrupting the gender crisis within STEM. Educational Studies 53(6), 614 -627 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1080/00131946.2017.1369085

  18. [18]

    International Journal of Education Through Art 17(2), 223-233 (2021)

    Hood, E.J., Lewis, T.E.: ‘Oohing and ahhing’: The power of thin(g)king in art education research. International Journal of Education Through Art 17(2), 223-233 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1386/eta_00062_1

  19. [19]

    Journal of Computer Assisted Learning 38(1), 237 -257 (2021)

    Huang, W., Hew, K.F., Fryer, L.K.: Chatbots for language learning—Are they really useful? A systematic review of chatbot -supported language learning. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning 38(1), 237 -257 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1111/jcal.12610

  20. [20]

    https://exploding- topics.com/blog/women-in-tech#sources (2024)

    Hubbert, J.: 70+ Women In Technology Statistics. https://exploding- topics.com/blog/women-in-tech#sources (2024)

  21. [21]

    https://doi.org/10.1007/s44163-022-00022-8

    Jiang, Y., Li, X., Luo, H.: Quo vadis artificial intelligence? Discover Artificial Intelligence 2, 4 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s44163-022-00022-8

  22. [22]

    Philosophy & Social Criticism (2023)

    Kalpokas, I.: Work of art in the Age of Its AI Reproduction. Philosophy & Social Criticism (2023). https://doi.org/10.1177/01914537231184490

  23. [23]

    Stanford Social Innovation Review

    Kauffman, K., Williams, A.: Turk Wars: How AI Threatens the Workers Who Fuel It. Stanford Social Innovation Review. https://ssir.org/articles/entry/ai- workers-mechanical-turk (2023)

  24. [24]

    Studies in Art Education 64(4), 467 -481 (2023)

    Knochel, A.D.: Midjourney Killed the Photoshop Star: Assembling the Emerging Field of Synthography. Studies in Art Education 64(4), 467 -481 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1080/00393541.2023.2255085

  25. [25]

    In: WiPSCE '21: Proceedings of the 16th Workshop in Primary and Secondary Computing Education, pp

    Kreinsen, M., Schulz, S.: Students’ Conceptions of Artificial Intelligence. In: WiPSCE '21: Proceedings of the 16th Workshop in Primary and Secondary Computing Education, pp. 1 -2. ACM, New York (2021). https://doi.org/10.1145/3481312.3481328

  26. [26]

    (eds.) Kehittämisen palat, yhteisöjen salat, pp

    Kupiainen, R.: Lukutaidon jälkeen? In: Korhonen, V., Annala, J., Kulju, P. (eds.) Kehittämisen palat, yhteisöjen salat, pp. 114 -130. Tampere University Press, Tampere (2017). https://trepo.tuni.fi/bitstream/han- dle/10024/101964/lukutaidon_jalkeen_2017.pdf

  27. [27]

    AI & Society 38(2), 459-478 (2023)

    Lagioia, F., Rovatti, R., Sartor, G.: Algorithmic fairness through group pari- ties? The case of COMPAS-SAPMOC. AI & Society 38(2), 459-478 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-022-01441-y

  28. [28]

    ProPublica

    Larson, J., Mattu, S., Kirchner, L., Angwin, J.: How We Analyzed the COMPAS Recidivism Algorithm. ProPublica. https://www.propublica.org/ar- ticle/how-we-analyzed-the-compas-recidivism-algorithm (2016)

  29. [29]

    The Conversation

    Lee Taylor, B.: Long hours and low wages: the human labour powering AI’s development. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/long-hours-and- low-wages-the-human-labour-powering-ais-development-217038 (2023)

  30. [30]

    Ghosts, humans and values in data labour

    Lehtiniemi, T., Ruckenstein, M.: Prisoners Training AI. Ghosts, humans and values in data labour. In: Pink, S., Berg, M., Lupton, D., Ruckenstein, M. 14 P. Mertala, J. Fagerlund, and T. Slotte Dufva (eds.) Everyday Automation, pp. 185 -199. Routledge, New York (2022). https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/oa-edit/10.4324/9781003170884- 16/prisoners-train...

  31. [31]

    Instructional Science 10(2), 177 -200 (1981)

    Marton, F.: Phenomenography—describing conceptions of the world around us. Instructional Science 10(2), 177 -200 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/bf00132516

  32. [32]

    Economic Sciences 121(9), e2313925121 (2024)

    Mei, Q., Xie, Y., Yuan, W., Jackson, M.O.: A Turing test of whether AI chat- bots are behaviorally similar to humans. Economic Sciences 121(9), e2313925121 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2313925121

  33. [33]

    Developmental Psychology 31(5), 838- 850 (1995)

    Meltzoff, A.N.: Understanding the intentions of others: Re -enactment of in- tended acts by 18-month-old children. Developmental Psychology 31(5), 838- 850 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.31.5.838

  34. [34]

    International Journal of Child-Computer Interaction 39, 100630 (2024)

    Mertala, P., Fagerlund, J.: Finnish 5th and 6th graders’ misconceptions about artificial intelligence. International Journal of Child-Computer Interaction 39, 100630 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijcci.2023.100630

  35. [35]

    Computers and Education: Artificial Intelli- gence 3, 100095 (2022)

    Mertala, P., Fagerlund, J., Calderon, O.: Finnish 5th and 6th grade students' pre-instructional conceptions of artificial intelligence (AI) and their implica- tions for AI literacy education. Computers and Education: Artificial Intelli- gence 3, 100095 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2022.100095

  36. [36]

    PublicAffairs, New York (2013)

    Morozov, E.: To Save Everything, Click Here: The Folly of Technological Solutionism. PublicAffairs, New York (2013)

  37. [37]

    Hill Wang, New York (2015)

    Noe, A.: Strange Tools: Art and Human Nature. Hill Wang, New York (2015)

  38. [38]

    Penguin books

    O’Neil, C.: Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatnes Democracy. Penguin books. New York. (2016)

  39. [39]

    Learning, Media and Technology 45(2), 208 -220 (2020)

    Pangrazio, L., Sefton-Green, J.: The social utility of ‘data literacy’. Learning, Media and Technology 45(2), 208 -220 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1080/17439884.2020.1707223

  40. [40]

    Thinking Skills and Creativity 31, 31-43 (2019)

    Perignat, E., Katz-Buonincontro, J.: STEAM in practice and research: An in- tegrative literature review. Thinking Skills and Creativity 31, 31-43 (2019)

  41. [41]

    https://time.com/6247678/openai-chat- gpt-kenya-workers/ (2024)

    Perrigo, B.: Exclusive: OpenAI Used Kenyan Workers on Less Than $2 Per Hour to Make ChatGPT Less Toxic. https://time.com/6247678/openai-chat- gpt-kenya-workers/ (2024)

  42. [42]

    Me- dium

    Ravi, S.: Large language models — LLM’s simple explanation for kids. Me- dium. https://medium.com/@sandhiyawor/large-language-models-llms-sim- ple-explanation-for-kids-e7a92120264f (2023)

  43. [43]

    Sustainability 15(18), 13595 (2023)

    Relmasira, S.C., Lai, Y.C., Donaldson, J.P.: Fostering AI Literacy in Elemen- tary Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEAM) Ed- ucation in the Age of Generative AI. Sustainability 15(18), 13595 (2023)

  44. [44]

    Journal of Democ- racy 32, 45

    Repucci, S., Slipowitz, A.: Democracy in a Year of Crisis. Journal of Democ- racy 32, 45. https://www.journalofdemocracy.org/articles/the-freedom-house- survey-for-2020-democracy-in-a-year-of-crisis/ (2021)

  45. [45]

    SN Computer Science 2(3), 160 (2021)

    Sarker, I.H.: Machine learning: Algorithms, real -world applications and re- search directions. SN Computer Science 2(3), 160 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42979-021-00592-x Rethinking the ‘A’ in STEAM: Insights from and for AI Literacy Education 15

  46. [46]

    Shan, S., Ding, W., Passananti, J., Wu, S., Zheng, H., Zhao, B.Y.: Prompt - Specific Poisoning Attacks on Text -to-Image Generative Models. arXiv. http://arxiv.org/abs/2310.13828v2 (2023)

  47. [47]

    https://hyperallergic.com/766241/hes-bigger-than-picasso-on-ai-platforms- and-he-hates-it/ (2022)

    Sharp, S.R.: He’s Bigger Than Picasso on AI Platforms, and He Hates It. https://hyperallergic.com/766241/hes-bigger-than-picasso-on-ai-platforms- and-he-hates-it/ (2022)

  48. [48]

    International Journal of Hu- man-Computer Studies 149, 102601 (2021)

    Skjuve, M., Følstad, A., Fostervold, K.I., Brandtzaeg, P.B.: My chatbot com- panion-a study of human -chatbot relationships. International Journal of Hu- man-Computer Studies 149, 102601 (2021)

  49. [49]

    Media ja viestintä 44(1), 95 -115 (2021)

    Slotte Dufva, T., Mertala, P.: Sähköä ja alkemiaa: tekoälydiskurssit Yleisra- dion verkkoartikkeleissa. Media ja viestintä 44(1), 95 -115 (2021). https://doi.org/10.23983/mv.107302

  50. [50]

    https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/vietnam-war-bruce-springsteen-born-in-the-usa/ (2022)

    Starkey, A.: Bruce Springsteen, the Vietnam war and ‘Born in the U.S.A.’. https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/vietnam-war-bruce-springsteen-born-in-the-usa/ (2022)

  51. [51]

    https://www.inverse.com/input/culture/mat-dryhurst-holly- herndon-artists-ai-spawning-source-dall-e-midjourney (2022)

    Stokel-Walker, C.: This couple is launching an organization to protect artists in the AI era. https://www.inverse.com/input/culture/mat-dryhurst-holly- herndon-artists-ai-spawning-source-dall-e-midjourney (2022)

  52. [52]

    Nature Communications 11(1), 2468 (2020)

    Tomašev, N., Cornebise, J., Hutter, F., Mohamed, S., Picciariello, A., Con- nelly, B., Clopath, C.: AI for social good: unlocking the opportunity for posi- tive impact. Nature Communications 11(1), 2468 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-15871-z

  53. [53]

    New Media & Society

    Vartiainen, H., Kahila, J., Tedre, M., López -Pernas, S., Pope, N.: Enhancing children’s understanding of algorithmic biases in and with text-to-image gen- erative AI. New Media & Society. Advance online publication (2024). https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448241252820

  54. [54]

    Vygotsky: The Fundamentals of Defectology, vol

    Vygotsky, L.S.: The Collected Works of L.S. Vygotsky: The Fundamentals of Defectology, vol. 2. Springer Science & Business Media, Berlin (1987)

  55. [55]

    , year 2007

    Wallach, W., Allen, C.: Can (ro)bots be moral? In: Wallach, W., Allen, C. (eds.) Moral Machines: Teaching Robots Right from Wrong, pp. 55 -71. Ox- ford University Press, Oxford (2009). https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195374049.003.0005

  56. [56]

    Ethics and Information Technology 23, 601 -610 (2021)

    Weber-Guskar, E.: How to feel about emotionalized artificial intelligence? When robot pets, holograms, and chatbots become affective partners. Ethics and Information Technology 23, 601 -610 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10676-021-09598-8

  57. [57]

    White, J., Fu, Q., Hays, S., Sandborn, M., Olea, C., Gilbert, H., Elnashar, A., Spencer-Smith, J., Schmidt, D.C.: A Prompt Pattern Catalog to Enhance Prompt Engineering with ChatGPT. arXiv. https://arxiv.org/abs/2302.11382 (2023)

  58. [58]

    In: Challenges in Sci- ence Education: Global Perspectives for the Future, pp

    Zouda, M., El Halwany, S., Bencze, L.: Science and technology studies in- forming STEM education: Possibilities and dilemmas. In: Challenges in Sci- ence Education: Global Perspectives for the Future, pp. 201-227. Springer In- ternational Publishing, Cham (2023)