North Chatham Library in the US Hosts 'Goodbye, AI' Event to Help Residents Turn Off AI Features

The North Chatham Free Library in New York State, US, has gone viral on Facebook with a flyer for its 'Goodbye, AI' event, receiving over 8,000 likes and 200 comments. The event aims to help residents turn off or avoid AI features on their phones and computers, inspired by real community needs.

Sia Welt, the library's only full-time librarian, said many older readers are frustrated by features like Gmail's auto-reply and autocomplete. The event was inspired by another librarian, Hannah Sayles, who argued that libraries should help readers not only accept technology but also reject it. Sayles' free classes had far more attendees than other tech courses and drew requests from hundreds of librarians worldwide.

The 'Goodbye, AI' event will be held next week with no appointment needed. Due to the overwhelming response, Welt worries about turnout, as she can only help a limited number of people at a time.