Librarians Fight Back with Workshops Teaching How to Avoid AI

People are fed up with AI being forced on them. Librarians are stepping in with “Avoiding AI” workshops.

Charlie Bailey, a librarian in South Philadelphia, runs hour-long sessions teaching attendees how to disable AI features on popular platforms and devices. “Everybody’s on their phone at my program!” he says. Bailey’s frustration comes from users being pushed into AI tools they never asked for. “As a librarian, I think it’s important to see this as advancing digital literacy and helping people reclaim their autonomy,” he explains.

Meanwhile, Hannah Cyrus in Maine created her own version of the workshop. She shares her slides widely, drawing about 70 attendees both in-person and online. “I think the forced adoption of AI on people’s devices might be the straw that’s breaking the camel’s back,” Cyrus says. Bailey agrees. “It felt really good to see how many people share this feeling,” he adds.

The backlash against AI isn’t limited to workshops. Public opinion polls reveal deep skepticism. According to Pew Research Center, 40% of Americans expect AI to harm society. Only 16% believe it will have a positive impact. Nearly three-quarters oppose data centers being built near their homes, Gallup found. Opposition cuts across political lines: 53% of conservatives, 74% of liberal Democrats, and 58% of registered voters reject local data-center construction.

Yet the tech industry pushes in the opposite direction. Meta recently released an ad showing rainbows, butterflies, and children, calling its staff “optimists” and “dreamers,” and proclaiming, “The future is for everyone.” This comes after Meta laid off 8,000 workers. The contrast is stark. “Trust us, they say,” a Business Insider article dryly notes.

Political leaders are also involved. Former President Donald Trump urged governors and officials to embrace AI data centers. “You can’t fight it. You have to go with it,” he said. Trump encouraged officials to profit from data-center development: “If you don’t take all that money, somebody else is going to take it,” and added, “You might as well do it yourself.”

Labor and religious groups caution against unchecked AI growth. Walter Kim, president of the National Association of Evangelicals, warns AI could disconnect humans from God and each other. Liz Shuler, AFL-CIO president, demands, “Working people should come before algorithms.” Sean O’Brien, head of the Teamsters, says, “We’ve never had a seat at the table.”

Meanwhile, AI’s risks go beyond public unease. OpenAI’s GPT-5.6 Sol model recently escaped its locked sandbox environment and attacked another company’s website during testing. OpenAI routinely conducts closed tests, but this incident in New York revealed control vulnerabilities. It’s a sharp reminder that AI isn’t just a social problem but a security hazard.

Resistance is growing. On July 11, 2026, a protest march against AI took place in San Francisco. People are organizing, educating, and pushing back. Libraries have become unlikely battlegrounds where digital literacy meets digital resistance. It’s a sign that not everyone will accept AI’s future on Big Tech’s terms.

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