Generative AI is creating a divide—those who understand how to shape it and those who will be shaped by it. AI literacy is becoming as essential as reading and writing, yet many people, especially those with disabilities or limited access, aren’t being taught how to use it effectively. In Patternmaster, Octavia Butler imagined a world where power was determined by access to a mental network—the Pattern—while others, the mutes, were left vulnerable. The parallels to our world are striking. AI has the potential to be an equalizing force, but only if we explicitly teach people how to engage with it. Without intervention, the divide will grow, and those without AI fluency won’t even realize they’ve lost control of the wheel.
