Anna Mills: The AI Literacy Pioneer Transforming Higher Education

From Community College Classroom to Global AI Advocate

Anna Mills began her career as a dedicated writing instructor in California community colleges, spending 17 years at City College of San Francisco before moving to Cañada College and now the College of Marin. Her journey into artificial intelligence (AI) advocacy started around 2023, coinciding with the explosive rise of generative AI tools like ChatGPT. What set Mills apart was her immediate recognition that these tools demanded more than bans or simplistic policies—they required a nuanced, critical approach embedded in pedagogy.

With a background in open educational resources (OER), Mills authored the widely adopted textbook How Arguments Work: A Guide to Writing and Analyzing Texts in College, now used at over 65 institutions worldwide. This foundation in accessible, equity-focused education positioned her uniquely to address AI's disruptions in writing instruction, a cornerstone of higher education curricula. Her shift to AI leadership reflects a broader trend: as 92% of higher education students now use generative AI—up from 66% in 2024—instructors like Mills are redefining literacy for the AI era.

Defining Critical AI Literacy in Higher Education

Critical AI literacy goes beyond teaching students how to prompt ChatGPT; it encompasses understanding AI's limitations, biases, ethical implications, and societal impacts. Mills defines it as the ability to engage AI tools thoughtfully—questioning outputs, recognizing hallucinations (AI-generated falsehoods), and integrating them ethically into learning processes. This contrasts with basic AI literacy, which focuses on technical proficiency, by emphasizing critique akin to media literacy.

In higher education, where 95% of faculty express concerns over student overreliance on AI diminishing critical thinking skills, Mills' framework offers a balanced path. She advocates step-by-step processes: first, demystify AI by dissecting prompts and outputs; second, apply critical reading to AI-generated text; third, reflect on personal biases introduced by AI. For instance, in writing classes, students might compare human critiques with AI versions, honing analytical skills while building confidence.

Landmark Publications and Curated Resources

Mills has produced a treasure trove of free, open resources tailored for college educators. Her curated collection, AI Text Generators and Teaching Writing: Starting Points for Inquiry, hosted by the Writing Across the Curriculum Clearinghouse, includes sample AI essays, policy templates, and articles from outlets like The Chronicle of Higher Education. Pieces such as "ChatGPT Just Got Better. What Does That Mean for Our Writing Assignments?" provide practical adaptations for evolving AI capabilities.

These resources have been instrumental globally, with her OER textbook integrating AI discussions in its latest updates. As English Discipline Lead for the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges OERI, Mills ensures AI literacy permeates open materials, making them scalable for under-resourced institutions. Her contributions extend to JSTOR Daily's "Artificial Intelligence and Education: A Reading List," guiding faculty through foundational scholarship.

Revolutionizing Pedagogy with Innovative Assignments

One of Mills' signature assignments, "A Tale of Two Critiques," exemplifies her approach. Students analyze a primary source, then compare critiques generated by ChatGPT and a human peer, reflecting on differences in depth, bias, and insight. This not only builds critical reading skills but also fosters AI literacy through direct comparison—revealing AI's superficiality in nuanced analysis.

In practice, such activities align with learning objectives in composition courses, common across U.S. community colleges and universities. Mills reports students gaining confidence in questioning AI, with follow-up surveys showing improved detection of biases. Globally, similar methods are emerging in European and Australian higher ed, where 86% of students use AI tools, underscoring the need for embedded critique.

Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash

Faculty Development and Task Force Leadership

As a member of the MLA/CCCC Joint Task Force on Writing and AI, Mills co-launched Exploring AI Pedagogy, a repository of teaching reflections now influencing policies at hundreds of colleges. She leads workshops for the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) on critical AI literacy, academic integrity, and pedagogical AI applications. Her AAC&U profile highlights sessions blending theory with hands-on tools.

Additionally, as a pre-release tester for OpenAI's GPT-4 and advisor for MyEssayFeedback.ai, Mills bridges industry and academia. These roles enable her to train faculty on custom chatbots and feedback apps that supplement, rather than replace, human-centered processes—vital as 76% of education leaders deem AI literacy essential.

Tackling Agentic AI: Mills' Bold Call to Action

By early 2026, agentic AI—autonomous agents completing entire courses—posed existential threats to online higher education. Mills responded with an open letter to OpenAI, Perplexity, Google, and Anthropic, demanding guardrails to prevent fraud. "Unless you stop your systems from pretending to be students, educators will conclude you intend to profit by perpetrating academic fraud," she wrote.

Featured in Inside Higher Ed, her stance highlights risks to credential integrity, especially for non-traditional students. Solutions include secure assessments and AI labeling, preserving access while upholding learning.

Real-World Impact in Community Colleges and Beyond

Mills' work resonates in community colleges, where diverse students face equity barriers. Her resources have been adopted in California systems and internationally, with case studies showing reduced AI misuse through literacy units. For example, at College of Marin, assignment revisions cut undetected AI submissions by fostering transparency.

Stakeholders praise her multi-perspective view: students appreciate practical tools, faculty value workshops, admins note policy alignment. Globally, as HEPI reports 94% of UK students use AI for assessments, Mills' models inspire adaptations at universities like UC Davis, which references her orientations.

Challenges, Ethical Considerations, and Solutions

Challenges abound: AI biases amplify inequities, overreliance erodes skills, and rapid evolution outpaces policy. Mills addresses these with actionable insights—train on bias detection via diverse datasets, design AI-inclusive rubrics, promote hybrid feedback.

• Step 1: Audit assignments for AI vulnerability.
• Step 2: Integrate critique modules early.
• Step 3: Collaborate on institutional AI ethics codes.

Her substack annamills.substack.com offers ongoing strategies, like leveraging AI for feedback while mandating human reflection.

Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash

The Future of AI Literacy in Higher Education

Looking ahead, Mills envisions AI literacy as core curriculum, akin to information literacy. With OECD's 2026 Digital Education Outlook urging teacher-led AI systems, her advocacy positions colleges for ethical integration. Future trends include agent-proof assessments, interdisciplinary AI courses, and global OER networks.

For educators, actionable steps: adopt her AI Pedagogy Project assignments, join task forces, pilot feedback apps. As AI reshapes higher ed, pioneers like Mills ensure human learning thrives.