Artificial intelligence has dominated conversations in the tech world and, in turn, the library world for several years. Every e-newsletter I receive, monthly tech class schedule I plan and internet search I do, AI always seems to be at the forefront. When ChatGPT was released in 2022, AI became a topic that, as a librarian, I needed to familiarize myself with very quickly. Community members were equally curious and fearful, wanting to know what it was and how to use it. Furthermore, companies, organizations and individuals needed to learn how to use it ethically, decisions of which are still being debated today.
Every industry and company has been and will continue to be affected by AI. While the frequency of questions regarding the technology at the library’s Information Desk has lessened, the public interest in learning how to use it remains. When people ask, “What can I use it for?” my only response is “What can’t you use it for?” While the larger conversations around AI that we are reading about and seeing on television can be overwhelming, the everyday use of AI can be helpful and, dare I say, fun.
Today, numerous AI chatbots (a bot that can engage in conversations with people) exist. Some require payment for all or advanced features, but it is generally free for anyone to create an account and experiment. AI can be used for simple tasks such as brainstorming, drafting an email, and job-seeking. I tend to use it for fun social trends. For example, I downloaded an image of my dog, Charlie, sitting on my couch to ChatGPT and asked it to “turn my home into a Beatrix Potter book.”
I also asked it to turn the library into a Beatrix Potter book.
I submitted a picture of Charlie and asked ChatGPT to “turn Charlie into a human.”
The results are perfect, as “human Charlie” looks like everyone’s best friend. Lastly, I submitted a photo of me and told ChatGPT that “I like my golden retriever Charlie, books, crochet, true crime, Aperol Spritz, and burritos. Show me if I was a doll that came with accessories.”
ChatGPT and other AI chatbots can be a lot of fun and produce great results but you still need check the information it is giving you. For example, upon further inspection on the image ChatGPT created of the library as seen in a Beatrix Potter book, instead of “Public Library” it reads “Fublic Library.”
I tend to use ChatGPT to give me answers to queries I would normally Google. Google, which has incorporated its own AI (AI Overview) into its searches, will answer your question, but without a lot of the additional context that ChatGPT provides. For example, I asked Google and ChatGPT “Who will be on the Baseball Hall of Fame ballot in 2025?” While both engines told me who determines the ballot (Baseball Writers’ Association of America), who is new to the ballot this year and who the returning candidates are, ChatGPT took it a step further by telling me what percentage of last year’s votes the returning candidates received as well as who was elected this year and the number of votes they received. While this has worked out for me, ChatGPT can provide the incorrect information. For example, if you are searching for services near you, it may be incorrect, as I’ve seen from experience. ChatGPT also has flaws when writing “original” content, as I’ve explored in previous blog posts.
If AI gives you pause, I encourage you to explore it further. To learn about the latest in AI and tech news, sign up for PPL’s Technology Newsletter and visit our Tech Class schedule for upcoming classes.