What Does AI Literacy Mean in L2 Writing? A Mixed‐Methods Investigation of Chinese EFL Student Writers’ AI Literacy Profiles and Their Links With Writing Self‐Regulated Learning Strategies

ABSTRACT The rapid integration of AI into educational settings has reshaped second language (L2) writing, calling for a clearer understanding of domain‐specific AI literacy. While recent research has begun to conceptualize L2 writing AI literacy, its heterogeneity among student writers and its relationship with writing self‐regulated learning (SRL) strategies remain underexplored. Addressing the gaps, this mixed‐methods study adopted a person‐centered approach to examine L2 writing AI literacy among 1001 Chinese EFL student writers, followed by semi‐structured interviews with 21 participants. Latent profile analysis identified four distinct AI literacy profiles: Skeptical and Resistant (P1: 12.0%), Moderately Balanced (P2: 63.4%), Confident Yet Less Reflective (P3: 6.2%), and Comprehensive High‐Literacy (P4: 18.4%) profiles. These profiles reflected marked differences in how students evaluated and reflected on AI in their writing. Multinomial logistic regression showed that disciplinary background, rather than gender or educational level, significantly predicted profile membership. MANOVA results further revealed significant differences in writing SRL strategies across profiles; however, this pattern was not consistent across learners, as our qualitative findings indicated that some learners in P1 still demonstrated obvious self‐regulation. Interview data also revealed the antecedents of each profile and provided insights into how learners described their SRL processes in AI‐mediated writing contexts while highlighting the emergence of performative AI literacy in authentic writing practices.