My Dilemma With AI:
Since deciding to pursue an MLIS, I’ve run into numerous discussions concerning AI much more than I ever anticipated. I’m no longer in a position to keep ignoring it—and I don’t want to keep ignoring it either! With the exception of an INFO 244 assignment where I had to experiment with ChatGPT and reflect on my experience as a user, I’ve never used AI for personal use. Truthfully, I find myself purposely avoiding the AI summaries we see at the top of search engine pages like the plague. I do believe I’ve gotten better on accepting AI’s existence, but I still have an issue with the act of integrating AI throughout our libraries. For this reason, Krupp Library’s ChatGPT: A Library Perspective really spoke to me as someone who is concerned with AI’s emerging prominence in the world and its relationship with our users.
Papini (2023) is transparent concerning the weaknesses of AI and ChatGPT, for example “We have found that ChatGPT can’t always tell you where it got a specific piece of information, especially if it can be found in more than one place…ChatGPT lacks authority, which is why this version can’t be considered a truly credible, or scholarly source.” This is one of the major grievances I have with AI/ChatGPT. In an academic setting, I just don’t see AI’s value due to its uncertain nature. Like other technologies, it is limited; this doesn’t, however, mean that it is 100% ineffective. Papini (2023) also discusses the use of AI/ChatGPT in a creative context “ChatGPT is a great way to get started brainstorming, or if you want to write a general overview of a topic, but it is often vague and even inaccurate, and is not a substitute for human writing.” I appreciate Papini’s emphasis that AI tools cannot or should not replace human writing—I do hold hope that AI won’t replace humans. I also know numerous people who use ChatGPT as a starting point for their works, and while I may not resort to it, I do understand how it may help them. I’m beginning to think that this is the case with all technologies; what may be impractical to one may be accommodating to another.
Papini (2023) closes this informative piece with wisdom that’s relevant to our discussions in the Hyperlinked Library “There have been many disruptive technologies and always will be. We will continue to make choices about how and what to use or adapt; the library is here to help you to learn and understand how these tools can be used and provide some guidance on when they should or should not be used according to our professional best practices.” I am particularly drawn to Papini’s words that disruptive technologies have existed in the past and will continue exist in the future. It’s merely up to us, as information professionals, to either work with or not work with these technologies for the benefit of our users. I don’t think I will 100% embrace AI overnight. I see this as a long process which will be with me as I continue to complete my MLIS and after when I work in an organization.
I suppose what I would like to ask now is how have you embraced (or not embraced) AI? What does AI look like in your organization? What will AI look like in the future?
This was a great piece that made me consider and re-consider our discussions of AI, so I encourage you to give it a read if you haven’t already!
References
Papini, A. (2023). ChatGPT: A library perspective. Krupp Library. https://library.bryant.edu/chatgpt-library-perspective
@lorraine5and I so appreciate this and I like that last quote in your wrap up about they’re always going to be disruptive technologies.
It was a bit of a surprise when the university announced that they had partnered with Silicon Valley corporations to make SJSU an AI powered university. I don’t know exactly what that means yet but here’s how I have used to ChatGPT: I ask it to proofread the emails sometimes. I just pasted in all the minutes from a tech committee I’m on and asked it to synthesize into thematic areas and it did and took three minutes. It would’ve taken me hours.
Also, I have a colleague in our local library. Here who has told me it has saved him so much time in their little village library. He asked it to outline presentations for his seniors technology class and to write up press releases or create a flyer for the library that time saving and being able to maybe proof to make sure everything is just fine and right seems priceless for a Little Library like that.
Thank you @michael for your input! I’ve heard of students using ChatGPT to outline essays and presentations before, so it would make sense for libraries to use it in this context. My public library has not integrated AI into their services or has even taken a stance on it yet, so I am not sure how they would use such a tool. I was also surprised about CSUs becoming “AI-powered universities”. I’m not sure what it means either, but I can only hope AI will assist and not replace scholarship.