These Maine librarians are helping patrons resist AI and Big Tech

[highplainsdem]

https://www.bangordailynews.com/2026/07/02/midcoast/midcoast-culture/maine-librarians-are-helping-patrons-resist-ai-joam40zk0w/

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“If I can’t tell people that generative AI is not a source of information that they should be relying on, then what can I tell them?” she said. “That’s my job. I’m an information professional.”

Despite breathless reporting on AI and how it is going to change the world, Cyrus said that in her experience, most average library patrons aren’t finding it helpful.

“People are frustrated with auto-complete on steroids,” she said. “These things are trying to finish their sentences for them. They just want to turn it off.”

In Searsmont, Brown intends to continue helping people remove AI from their devices and he also plans to help the library itself step away from Google tools, such as Gmail, Google Meet and Google Drive and replace them with more secure and private ones.

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Much more at the link.

[canetoad]

1. We've left it far too long

The big warnings should have been ringing out around the turn of the century. Right at the start of Web 2.0, where the consumers of web information became the creators.

On a side note, there was a statistic around back in the day that said (and correct me if this is wrong) that 90% or the web's content was created by five or 10 percent of the users. I've no idea what current metrics are on this, but if it's even in the ball park then AI is a playground for 'the empty cans'.

[Raftergirl]

2. My 97 year old mother seems to have fallen in love with asking AI. Today it was about a painting she has.

I had to listen to everything she “found out” about it, in detail, that she insisted on reading what it said to me. AI told her at auction it would be worth about $18k, if it’s not a copy. So, I told her to get it appraised by a real art expert. But she doesn’t want to, So now, when the time comes I’ll have to do before I do anything with it, as I don’t like it. But I’m not going to throw it away if it’s actually worth something,

Two weeks ago it she did it with a silver tea service, thankfully after we got it sold because no one in the family wanted it, and it had been sitting in my sister’s basement for years,

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

3. Its annoying that the top of the page response from google is AI

[Raftergirl]

4. Use Duck Duck Go. You can turn AI off completely.