Artificially Censored: AI Guardrails, Book Bans, and Access to Information

As part of the SJSU King Library's Banned Books Week celebration, using hands-on activities and demonstrations, this program will highlight the intersections between artificial intelligence, censorship, and the freedom of information. Legislation that bans whole categories of books has libraries looking for solutions, and some have even started using AI tools to try to comply with increasingly aggressive censorship. Similarly, AI is already being used by government and industry to make decisions in critical areas like law enforcement, healthcare, and employment. We will explore the inherent al