Generative AI (GenAI) tools are rapidly transforming knowledge work, making AI literacy a critical priority for organizations. However, research on AI literacy lacks empirical insight into how knowledge workers' beliefs around GenAI literacy are shaped by the social dynamics of the workplace, and how workers learn to apply GenAI tools in these environments. To address this gap, we conducted in-depth interviews with 19 knowledge workers across multiple sectors to examine how they develop GenAI competencies in real-world professional contexts. We found that, while knowledge sharing from colleagues supported learning, the ability to remove cues indicating GenAI use was perceived as validation of domain expertise. These behaviours ultimately reduced opportunities for learning via knowledge sharing and undermined transparency. To advance workplace AI literacy, we argue for fostering open dialogue, increasing visibility of user-generated knowledge, and greater emphasis on the benefits of collaborative learning for navigating rapid technological developments.

翻译：生成式人工智能（GenAI）工具正在迅速改变知识工作，使得人工智能素养成为组织的关键优先事项。然而，现有关于人工智能素养的研究缺乏实证视角，未能揭示知识工作者对GenAI素养的认知如何受到职场社会动态的影响，以及工作者如何在这些环境中学习应用GenAI工具。为填补这一空白，我们对来自多个行业的19名知识工作者进行了深度访谈，以探究他们在真实职业情境中如何发展GenAI能力。研究发现，尽管同事间的知识分享有助于学习，但消除表明GenAI使用痕迹的能力却被视为领域专业知识的验证。这些行为最终减少了通过知识分享进行学习的机会，并损害了透明度。为提升职场人工智能素养，我们主张应促进开放对话、增加用户生成知识的可见性，并更加重视协作学习对于应对快速技术发展的益处。