Library Home: Librarian Notes: Before and After ChatGPT

Text of Val's rough draft about Librarians still needed

I like reading review papers, where someone with more expertise in a field reads a bunch of papers and makes an authoritative, informed opinion. At least that is the hope. Of course, people being people, they may unconsciously let their unconscious biases creep in to make their opinions not totally objective.

Some people might say AI could make a review of the same bunch of papers and come up with a more objective review. The problem with an AI review is that you have to double check what they say if you are not already an expert in that field.

I think of AI content as being like Wikipedia, great for getting the gist of a topic, learning the jargon of the field, and getting some links to external sources.

AI is also good as a souped-up version of editors that check for grammar, punctuation, verb tense and point of view agreement, tone (familiar or professional) and sentence length, etc. The mechanics of writing.

As librarians, we coach people about how to find and evaluate information. I’m sure that many people are thinking, now that Google has that AI overview, who needs a librarian?

Librarians are needed for a reality check, for skepticism, understanding where information is coming from, effects of bias, and explaining ethical access and use of content.

Librarians in public libraries are forced to act as social workers. Some libraries have (wisely) hired Social Services professionals to deal with homeless and mentally ill patrons.

Librarians are needed in a library to be a face-to-face contact for people who need social interaction to feel more confident when finding, using, and accepting the content they need.

As our society and technology become more complicated, there needs to be more people to calm and coach people, to curate and criticize content, and to remind everyone that AI is easily biased by it’s training dataset.

AI is amazing for noticing patterns, I think AI could be ideal for flagging articles as low trust based on suspicious purity of data reported, or “too good to be true data and results.

Unfortunately, the race to teach AI to create fake data sets is pretty hot, and if an AI knows what to look for to spot fake data, it can make it’s own data pass that checkpoint.

-Human written rough draft by Val Magno

Chatgpt prompted with: Please rewrite this as a casual article meant as an informative pep talk for a librarian generated newsletter: "text of rough draft"

Why Librarians Still Matter in the Age of AI

Hey everyone,

Let’s talk about something that’s been on my mind lately: the role of librarians in a world increasingly influenced by artificial intelligence. It’s a hot topic, and I think it’s important to remember why our jobs are still so crucial, even with AI becoming more advanced.

We all know how valuable review papers are. These are written by experts who sift through tons of research and give us their well-informed opinions. The idea is that they provide an authoritative take on a topic. But, let’s be real—experts are human too, and their personal biases can sometimes sneak in, making their reviews less objective than we’d like.

Now, with AI on the scene, some folks believe that it could offer a more objective review by analyzing the same pile of research. And while AI can crunch data at lightning speed, it’s not perfect. For those of us who aren’t deep experts in a specific field, relying solely on AI-generated reviews can be tricky. Sometimes, we need a human touch to truly understand the nuances.

Think of AI like a super-charged version of Wikipedia. It’s great for getting a general sense of a topic, picking up on jargon, and finding links to more resources. It’s also fantastic for the nitty-gritty details of writing, like checking grammar and tone. But here’s where we come in: librarians bring something AI can’t.

We’re here to help people find and evaluate information with a critical eye. We’re the ones who teach users how to spot bias, understand where information is coming from, and use content ethically. And let’s not forget, in many public libraries, we’re not just handling books—we’re often stepping into roles that resemble social work, supporting patrons who might be dealing with homelessness or mental health issues.

In a world where technology keeps evolving, we’re needed more than ever. We’re the calming presence who can guide people through the overwhelming amount of information out there. We curate content, offer thoughtful critiques, and remind everyone that AI, for all its brilliance, can still be biased by the data it’s trained on.

In short, while AI is an amazing tool for data processing, it can’t replace the unique skills and insights that librarians provide. We’re essential for ensuring that information is not only accurate but also used in a responsible and thoughtful way. So, let’s embrace our roles with pride and continue to be the guiding light for our communities!

Happy reading and keep up the great work! - Val Magno & Chatgpt