US Library Flyer Goes Viral for Workshop on Disabling Unwanted AI Features
The North Chatham Free Library in upstate New York gained widespread online attention after advertising a "Bye Bye AI" workshop to help residents turn off unwanted AI features on their devices. The viral workshop highlights growing "AI fatigue" and user resistance to tech companies forcing AI features into everyday applications by default. It also underscores a growing movement in digital literacy where libraries help users reject technologies, not just adopt them. Organizers noted that features like Gmail's autocomplete and auto-replies were particularly frustrating for older patrons who never requested them. The initiative was inspired by library research asserting that public institutions should support users who want to opt out of modern tech clutter.
## BACKGROUND
Major tech companies have aggressively added generative AI and automated features across operating systems and web applications over the past two years. Because these features are frequently turned on by default, non-technical users often struggle to find device settings to disable them.