<i>Adolescent and Youth Imaginaries of Artificial Intelligence in Latin America: Voices, Tensions, and Challenges for a Situated Literacy</i>
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Keywords

Technological imaginaries
adolescence
artificial intelligence
Latin America
critical literacy

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Mateus, J.-C., Leon, L., & Paucar, C.-A. (2025). Adolescent and Youth Imaginaries of Artificial Intelligence in Latin America: Voices, Tensions, and Challenges for a Situated Literacy. Signo Y Pensamiento, 44. https://doi.org/10.11144/Javeriana.syp44.iaji
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Abstract

This article reflects on the technological imaginaries that Latin American adolescents and young people are constructing around artificial intelligence (AI), emphasizing the sociocultural particularities of countries that are predominantly technology consumers and face significant gaps in access, appropriation, and participation. Drawing on a narrative review of recent literature, it explores the perceptions, appropriation practices, and future projections that young people in the region develop about AI, revealing a complex mix of enthusiasm for its educational potential and concern about its ethical, social, and labor implications. The analysis uncovers discursive tensions between local imaginaries and dominant market logics that shape how many users—especially in educational contexts—appropriate these technologies. Finally, the article argues for the need to create institutional and methodological spaces that systematically include young voices and foster critical, inclusive, and culturally situated literacies, enabling Latin American youth to engage with AI from an ethical, conscious, and transformative perspective.

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Copyright (c) 2025 Julio-César Mateus, Laura Leon, Cielo-Abril Paucar

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