School uses AI to remove 200 books, including Orwell's 1984 and Twilight
6 hours ago
- #school libraries
- #freedom of expression
- #AI censorship
- A school in Greater Manchester used AI to remove 200 books from its library, deeming them 'inappropriate'.
- Books removed included George Orwell's '1984', Stephanie Meyer's 'Twilight', Michelle Obama's autobiography, and Nicholas Sparks' 'The Notebook'.
- The school librarian was 'gobsmacked' and resigned after refusing to ban books and being placed under a safeguarding investigation.
- The librarian was accused of introducing 'inappropriate books' and reported to the council, leading to her resignation.
- The school admitted the reasoning for the removals was written by AI, but it's unclear if AI selected the books initially.
- The librarian's career was effectively ended due to the safeguarding complaint being upheld.
- The School Libraries Group (SLG) is supporting the librarian, calling the situation 'over the top'.