From Digital Literacy to AI Agency: A Culturally Responsive Framework for Orang Asli Communities in Malaysia

Zaheril Zainudin; Nurmuma Kamarina Jamil; Hasnah Embi; Mohamed Amin Embi; Ilisa Fajriyati

Authors

Zaheril Zainudin Faculty of Education and Liberal Studies, INTI International University, Persiaran Perdana BBN, Putra Nilai, Bandar Baru Nilai, 71800 Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
Nurmuma Kamarina Jamil Faculty of Education and Liberal Studies, City University of Malaysia, No. 8, Jalan 51A/223, Seksyen 51A, 46100 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
Hasnah Embi Tadika Sri Comel Manja, No 1, Jalan Ara SD 7/4, Bandar Sri Damansara, 52200 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Mohamed Amin Embi Tadika Sri Comel Manja, No 1, Jalan Ara SD 7/4, Bandar Sri Damansara, 52200 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Ilisa Fajriyati Islamic University of Muhammad Arsyad Al Banjari Kalimantan, Indonesia

Keywords:

AI literacy, AI agency, Orang Asli, culturally responsive AI, Indigenous digital inclusion

Abstract

The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) principally generative AI is creating a new form of digital inequality that cannot be understood through internet access or conventional digital literacy alone. For Indigenous communities, meaningful AI inclusion demands not only technical competence but also critical understanding, cultural relevance, trusted mediation, collective capability besides control over knowledge and data. This conceptual paper develops a Culturally Responsive AI Literacy and Agency Framework for Orang Asli communities in Malaysia over an integrative synthesis of literature on digital literacy, AI literacy, digital inclusion, critical digital literacy, culturally responsive education, the Capability Approach, human-centred AI, Indigenous digital inclusion and Indigenous data sovereignty. The framework comprises ten interconnected dimensions: digital foundations, AI awareness, functional AI literacy, critical AI literacy, ethical AI literacy, cultural and linguistic relevance, trust, safety and community mediation, Indigenous knowledge and data sovereignty, community support and collective capability and AI agency. Rather than treating these dimensions as a rigid linear sequence, the framework conceptualises them as mutually reinforcing capabilities shaped by social, cultural, institutional and technological conditions. The paper advances AI-literacy scholarship by shifting attention from skills to capabilities, from individual competence to collective capacity and from AI adoption to AI agency. AI agency is conceptualised as the capacity of individuals and communities to make informed, critical, culturally meaningful and autonomous decisions regarding whether, why, when and how AI should be utilized. The framework provides a foundation for future empirical validation, culturally responsive AI education, Indigenous digital policy, measurement development and human-centred AI design.