A growing share of American adults can't read or do basic math, and AI tools are now letting them hide it at work — bad for workers, employers, and the economy.

• About 130 million US adults read below a sixth-grade level, and 43 million can't do basic math or read past a third-grade level.
• This is a problem because over 90% of jobs need some computer skills, which require reading.
• Workers used to hide poor reading by leaning on coworkers or family; now they use AI to finish tasks they don't actually understand.
• The danger is that AI masks these gaps until someone has to make a judgment call or check whether the AI's answer is even right.
• The deeper cause is a failing public school system, including a past shift away from teaching reading through phonics that hurt literacy.

Outlook: AI is expected to raise the demand for workers with strong basic skills, not lower it, so hidden literacy gaps will likely become a bigger workplace problem.