# Penn State Publishes Free AI Literacy Textbook for Public Speaking

> Penn State has published a free, openly licensed textbook that threads AI literacy through an entire public speaking curriculum, the work of 14 communications faculty across seven campuses. Rather than treating AI as a bolt-on module, the resource reimagines how students research, draft, and deliver talks in a world where generative tools are everywhere. The choice of public speaking is telling. It is a foundational course that huge numbers of undergraduates take, so building AI awareness directly into it reaches students who might never sign up for a dedicated tech class. Making the material free and open also lets other schools adopt or adapt it without licensing costs. Amid loud debates about whether AI will wreck education or supercharge it, this is a concrete, unglamorous answer: teach people to use the tools thoughtfully and understand their limits. It will not make headlines like a new model launch, but broad, practical AI literacy baked into general education may shape how a generation actually works with these systems.

_Section: [Daily AI Updates](https://www.wortins.com/daily-ai) · Source: Penn State · Published Wednesday, July 15, 2026_

## Wortins' read

Penn State has published a free, openly licensed textbook that threads AI literacy through an entire public speaking curriculum, the work of 14 communications faculty across seven campuses. Rather than treating AI as a bolt-on module, the resource reimagines how students research, draft, and deliver talks in a world where generative tools are everywhere. The choice of public speaking is telling. It is a foundational course that huge numbers of undergraduates take, so building AI awareness directly into it reaches students who might never sign up for a dedicated tech class. Making the material free and open also lets other schools adopt or adapt it without licensing costs. Amid loud debates about whether AI will wreck education or supercharge it, this is a concrete, unglamorous answer: teach people to use the tools thoughtfully and understand their limits. It will not make headlines like a new model launch, but broad, practical AI literacy baked into general education may shape how a generation actually works with these systems.

## Source

[Read the full story at Penn State](https://www.crescendo.ai/news/latest-ai-news-and-updates)

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