Old Lady Yells at Cloud: a consideration of AI in libraries

Abstract

What does AI have to do with creativity in libraries? A lot, but maybe not in the ways that you expect. It has become a truism that AI promoters push the ability of AI to do what have been traditionally human creative activity for centuries: writing and visual art. What does this mean for librarians? Wouldn't we rather have AI that is going to shelve all the books or fund a new library classroom? Is AI going to have all the fun while we librarians end up with the drudge work? Perhaps we should look more closely at the promises that AI is making and see what, if anything, is behind them. This presentation will examine some of the excitement around AI and consider if what AI can do for libraries is worth the cost.