Should Librarians Be Worried About Artificial Intelligence? – SJSU | School of Information

Published: May 29th, 2023 by Hannah Nguyen

As new technology emerges, there is often a discussion about how
librarian’s roles will change in relation to it. This
conversation has become especially relevant with the introduction
of new artificial intelligence (AI) tools. These innovations are
certainly going to affect America’s workforce, and librarians are
no exception to this. But what are the opportunities and risks?
Should we be worried?

Focus on What Makes Us Human

For fun, I found an
AI generator that answers whether a job can be replaced by
automation, and there’s good news for librarians. According to
this bot, librarians are unlikely to be replaced by AI because
they “cannot provide the same level of personalized service that
librarians can.”

There seems to be a general consensus that certain human
qualities, like empathy and critical thinking, cannot be
replicated by AI, and they are essential for the work that we do.
In Human Work in the Age of Smart Machines by
Jamie Merisotis, the author has a fairly optimistic view of smart
machines and artificial intelligence. It cautions readers not to
cling to nostalgia or get lost in anxiety that “the robots will
come for our jobs,” but rather embrace the ways these machines
will help us focus on meaningful work. It is easy to see why
there is cause for concern, however the intention behind the
machines is to eliminate repetitive tasks, which ideally will
free us to focus on more important and creative ideas.

We Need to be Diligent

I recently connected with Kiri Wagstaff, a machine learning
researcher (and iSchool alumni) whose thesis was on using machine
learning to make weeding decisions in libraries. She shared that
she sees “AI/machine learning as a complement to human effort,
rather than a replacement for it” and “to use these new tools
effectively, we all need to know their strengths and
limitations.” There is currently a lot of buzz in the academic
community about a specific AI tool called ChatGPT, which was just
released in November 2022. This particular tool is relevant to
librarians because many people have been using it for research
assistance. Duke University Libraries posted
this helpful article about why people should be cautious
about using it for academic research. Essentially, it does not
function like a search engine by connecting you to actual
resources. In fact, it often creates citations for fake articles,
falsely attributing them to reputable sources. Although this tool
is a breakthrough in technology, it is apparent that there will
be a role for librarians to teach information literacy skills
related to AI and help discern fact from fiction.

It’s probably too soon to say exactly how AI will affect the
field of librarianship, but it is essential that we stay up to
date on relevant news so that we can adapt services to meet our
community’s changing needs.

Additional Resources:

Two More Things…

Here are a few job opportunities that might be of interest!

Also, remember that internships can be an especially valuable
part of your learning experience at the iSchool while also
helping you when it comes time to look for jobs. Learn more about
the iSchool’s internship program here,
where you can check out the INFO 294 Student Handbook as
well as the Internship Sites
database.