The AI Literacy Leadership Framework (AILLF): A Framework for AI-Enabled Leadership in Higher Education

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The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in higher education is reshaping institutional decision-making, governance, policy development, and educational innovation. Effective leadership in AI-enabled environments requires more than technical competence, extending to strategic awareness, ethical judgement, and the ability to critically evaluate the broader implications of AI technologies. Drawing on survey and interview data from 52 academic leaders across UK higher education institutions, this study examines current levels of AI literacy and explores how AI capability relates to institutional readiness and leadership practice. The findings reveal variation in participants’ self-reported AI literacy and engagement, identify technical, strategic, ethical, and organisational capability gaps, and highlight structural barriers including limited time, fragmented professional development, and insufficient institutional support for institution-wide AI adoption. In response, the paper presents the AI Literacy Leadership Framework (AILLF), which conceptualises AI literacy as a multidimensional leadership capability comprising technical, strategic, ethical, and applied dimensions that support four interconnected leadership domains: innovation, decision-making, ethical governance, and policy development. Informed by leadership theory, international AI governance frameworks, and the study’s exploratory empirical findings, the AILLF is accompanied by a proposed capability progression model and role-differentiated leadership competency guide to provide implementation guidance for higher education institutions. The study contributes an empirically informed conceptual framework that integrates AI literacy, leadership theory, and AI governance, providing a foundation for future research and institutional approaches to AI leadership within higher education.