Librarians launch 'Avoiding AI' workshops to help people opt out of unwanted tech

Librarians across the U.S. are responding to a surge in public demand for guidance on disabling artificial intelligence features that tech companies have embedded into everyday devices and services. The workshops, dubbed "Avoiding AI," have drawn unexpectedly large crowds and sparked a grassroots movement around digital autonomy.

From Maine to Philadelphia#

The movement began when Hannah Cyrus, a librarian at Bangor Public Library in Maine, published research on developing her own AI-avoidance curriculum. She anticipated modest interest, but instead received inquiries from librarians worldwide requesting her materials. Her first workshop, designed for roughly a dozen people, attracted so many registrations that she capped attendance at 30, created a waitlist, and added a Zoom option—ultimately reaching about 70 participants across both sessions.

Charlie Bailey, a librarian in South Philadelphia, replicated Cyrus's model in his community. The library's Instagram announcement garnered over 2,000 likes and 220 shares, far exceeding engagement on typical posts. The demand forced him to schedule a second session.

What the workshops offer#

Rather than broadly dismissing technology, these sessions educate attendees on how consumer AI tools actually work, then provide step-by-step instructions for turning off specific features. Bailey walks participants through Apple Intelligence, Google Gemini, and other platforms, projected onto screens so people can follow along on their own devices.

Participants share practical tips—such as appending "&udm=14" to Google searches to filter out AI-generated results—and discuss their frustrations with features appearing without their consent.

Why it matters#

For librarians, teaching AI literacy and giving users control over their own devices aligns with a broader mission around information freedom. As Cyrus explained, "the forced adoption of AI on people's devices might be the straw that's breaking the camel's back." She added that skepticism isn't rooted in rejecting technology outright but rather in reclaiming choice: "We're not really using these products in the way that we would like."

Workshop attendees voice diverse concerns—environmental costs, workplace pressure to adopt AI, and privacy worries—while acknowledging beneficial applications like optical character recognition for archival work. The gatherings reflect a growing public unease with big tech's outsized influence over daily choices.