Generative AI (GenAI) tools like ChatGPT or Claude are becoming increasingly common in everyday life. While it’s clear from previous research that digital skills and knowledge play a key role in using digital tools effectively, we still know surprisingly little about how to actually measure such skills in the context of GenAI. This study takes a step in that direction by exploring and comparing three different ways to assess GenAI skills: self-assessment, understanding of key concepts, and factual knowledge. Using data from a representative sample of internet users in Germany, this study finds that all three measures are consistent and closely related, which indicates that they seem to be capturing similar aspects of GenAI skills. Moreover, there are clear connections between people's skills, their use of GenAI tools, and socio-economic factors. These results suggest that building GenAI skills is not only important for effective tool use, but also for ensuring that digital technologies do not deepen existing digital inequalities. Supporting skill development, therefore, is key to promoting more equitable access and participation in the digital age.

About the speaker

Kiran Kappeler, PhD, is a postdoctoral researcher at the Center for Tracking and Society, Department of Communication, University of Copenhagen. She is currently working in a research project that explores the role that the Internet of Things can play in the green transition. In her dissertation, she investigated how individuals cope with risks such as algorithmization or dataveillance, which living in a digital society entails.  She is interested in internet users’ practices and the role of digital skills in their everyday life.