In a quiet corner of South Philadelphia, amidst the colorful alphabet rug of a children’s classroom, librarian Charlie Bailey recently stood before a diverse group of adults, their smartphones in hand. This gathering, far from a typical tech tutorial, centered on a burgeoning public sentiment: a desire to disentangle from the increasingly ubiquitous influence of artificial intelligence. Bailey’s "Avoiding AI" workshop, a rapidly viral phenomenon, guides participants through the intricate steps of disabling AI functionalities embedded in popular devices and software, including features like Apple Intelligence and Google’s Gemini.

Bailey’s initiative was born from an acute observation of widespread frustration. "I was inspired by the feeling of people’s frustration with AI tools being kind of forced onto them, and feeling like AI tools we didn’t ask for are suddenly everywhere in our lives," he shared, highlighting a growing public weariness with the perceived inevitability of AI integration. The hour-long session begins with a foundational understanding of how AI chatbots and consumer-grade AI operate, delving into both the potential advantages and the compelling reasons one might choose to opt out. The core of the workshop, however, involves practical, step-by-step demonstrations, projected onto a screen, showing attendees precisely how to deactivate specific AI features across various major tech platforms and devices.

For Bailey, this endeavor aligns perfectly with the foundational mission of public libraries. "As a librarian, I think it’s important to see this as advancing digital literacy and helping people reclaim their autonomy over whether they want to use AI tools," he explained. He underscored the critical importance of this empowerment, especially "when it can be so difficult not to use them, and when the design seems to force adoption." This sentiment resonates deeply with a public increasingly scrutinizing the ethical and practical implications of a tech landscape where AI is often default, rather than an opt-in choice.

The Genesis of a Movement: A Librarian’s Call for Control

The spark for these popular workshops originated in Maine, with librarian Hannah Cyrus. Cyrus, based at the Bangor Public Library, has long been a frontline resource for patrons grappling with technological challenges. Her experience mirrored Bailey’s observations, but perhaps even earlier. "More and more, I was getting questions about, ‘How do I turn this [AI] stuff off? Why is it trying to write my emails for me? Why is it trying to summarize my one-sentence email that I can easily read?’" Cyrus recounted. Recognizing a significant unmet need, she decided to develop her own workshop.

Cyrus meticulously crafted a curriculum that not only elucidated the fundamental workings of AI but, crucially, provided concrete instructions for disengagement. She later published a journal article detailing her methodology, an act that unexpectedly ignited a broader movement. "This has never happened before with anything I’ve worked on," Cyrus remarked, expressing surprise at the unprecedented deluge of inquiries from dozens of librarians worldwide. "Nobody has ever been emailing me like, ‘Can you give me your Intro to Computers slides?’" This immediate and widespread interest signaled a deep, latent demand for such guidance among both information professionals and the general public.

The popularity of Cyrus’s initial "Avoiding AI" workshops was immediate and striking. Her typical "Intro to Computers" classes usually drew around a dozen participants. For her first AI workshop, however, interest was so overwhelming that she had to cap registrations at 30, establish a waitlist, and even offer a livestream option. In total, approximately 70 people attended each of her first two sessions, a turnout far exceeding expectations for a library program.

When Charlie Bailey replicated Cyrus’s model in Philadelphia, the response was equally extraordinary. An Instagram post announcing his "Avoiding AI" event garnered over 2,000 likes and 220 shares—figures dramatically higher than the usual engagement for the library’s social media content, which typically sees only a few dozen likes. The overwhelming demand necessitated scheduling a second program to accommodate the eager registrants. This viral reception underscores a shared sentiment among a significant segment of the population, a collective yearning for greater control over their digital lives. "As an information professional, it feels good to see people skeptical of AI," Bailey affirmed, reflecting on the palpable sense of solidarity among attendees. "It felt really good to see how many people share this feeling."

Librarians: Guardians of Digital Literacy in a New Age

The role of public libraries as centers for digital literacy is not new; it’s a legacy that stretches back decades, evolving with each wave of technological innovation. In the early days of computing, libraries offered fundamental "Intro to Computers" courses, helping communities navigate the then-novel concepts of operating systems and word processors. With the advent of the internet, their role expanded to include teaching patrons how to use email, conduct effective online searches, and understand basic internet safety. The rise of social media brought new challenges, with librarians guiding users on privacy settings, identifying misinformation, and fostering responsible online interactions.

This historical context positions libraries as uniquely suited to address the current anxieties surrounding AI. Unlike private tech companies, whose primary motivations often involve user engagement and data monetization, libraries operate as trusted, neutral community hubs dedicated to equitable information access and educational empowerment. They are non-commercial entities, free from the corporate pressures that might influence the design and deployment of new technologies. This inherent neutrality allows them to approach AI not as a product to be sold or adopted, but as a complex tool that requires critical understanding and discerning use. Their mission is to equip individuals with the knowledge and skills necessary to make informed choices about their digital lives, rather than to promote or deter specific technologies.

In this sense, the "Avoiding AI" workshops represent a natural, yet critical, evolution of the librarian’s role. It broadens the definition of "digital literacy" beyond simply knowing how to use technology, to encompass the equally vital skill of knowing how to control it, limit it, or even abstain from it, when desired. This shift reflects a growing societal awareness that unchecked technological integration can have profound implications for individual autonomy, privacy, and well-being.

The Public’s Frustration: Why Users Seek Control

The overwhelming response to these workshops highlights a palpable tension between the tech industry’s rapid deployment of AI features and the public’s desire for agency. Many users feel that AI is being "shoved down their throats," as one workshop attendee succinctly put it. This forced adoption manifests in various ways: AI-powered writing suggestions appearing by default in email clients, smart assistants becoming increasingly integrated into device operations, and search engines beginning to prioritize AI-generated summaries over traditional organic results.

This feeling of a loss of control is compounded by several significant concerns. Privacy is paramount, as many generative AI models are trained on vast datasets, raising questions about data provenance, consent, and how personal information might be used or exposed. The environmental impact of large language models (LLMs) is another growing worry. Training and operating these models consume enormous amounts of energy, contributing to carbon emissions, a point echoed by an attendee named Gabrielle, who stated, "I keep getting AI shoved down my throat at work, and every time I see it, I think about the environment."

Furthermore, the user experience itself can be a source of frustration. As Hannah Cyrus observed, AI features often attempt to summarize or "help" in ways that are unnecessary or even detrimental, such as trying to summarize a single-sentence email. This can lead to a sense of digital fatigue, where users feel constantly bombarded by "smart" features that add complexity rather than genuine utility. The workshops provide a communal space for these frustrations to be voiced and validated. During one session, a participant shared a specific tip for Google Search: appending "&udm=14" to a query can help hide AI results. This shared knowledge, scrawled on a whiteboard alongside the library’s Wi-Fi credentials, epitomizes the grassroots nature of this movement toward digital self-determination.

Beyond Disabling: A Broader Conversation on AI

It is crucial to understand that the "anti-AI movement" fostered by these workshops is not a wholesale rejection of technology or even of artificial intelligence itself. Attendees and librarians alike acknowledge the immense potential of AI in specific, well-defined applications. Gabrielle, while concerned about AI’s environmental impact and forced adoption, explicitly stated, "I’m not against AI in terms of medical breakthroughs." Similarly, Hannah Cyrus recognizes the utility of technologies like optical character recognition (OCR) for digitizing old library documents—an AI application that significantly enhances information access and preservation.

The core of this burgeoning resistance is not against innovation, but against a particular model of technological integration: one that is pervasive, opaque, and defaults to "on" without clear user consent or easy opt-out mechanisms. It’s an advocacy for greater control, agency, and freedom in how individuals interact with technology. As Cyrus articulated, "I think the forced adoption of AI on people’s devices might be the straw that’s breaking the camel’s back in some ways." She posits that this recent wave of AI integration is bringing to a head a long-simmering awareness that powerful tech companies exert an "outsized influence over us," and that many users are not engaging with these products on their own terms.

This nuanced perspective is vital. It frames the discussion not as Luddism, but as a sophisticated demand for ethical technology design, user-centric interfaces, and genuine choice. It acknowledges that while AI offers groundbreaking potential in fields from healthcare to scientific research, its ubiquitous, unrequested presence in everyday consumer tech raises legitimate concerns about digital well-being, data sovereignty, and environmental responsibility.

Implications for Tech and Society

The viral success of these "Avoiding AI" workshops carries significant implications for both the technology industry and broader society. For tech companies, this public pushback serves as a powerful signal that aggressive, default-on AI integration may backfire. It suggests a potential market demand for products and services that prioritize user control, privacy, and clear opt-in choices over forced adoption. Companies that listen to these concerns and offer genuinely user-centric AI experiences might gain a competitive advantage in an increasingly crowded and often contentious AI landscape.

Societally, these workshops are fostering a new dimension of digital literacy. Beyond simply teaching people how to use tools, they are empowering individuals to critically evaluate technology, understand its underlying mechanisms, and make conscious decisions about its place in their lives. This shift could contribute to a more discerning and empowered digital citizenry, less susceptible to algorithmic manipulation and more capable of advocating for their digital rights. The communal aspect of these workshops also builds a sense of solidarity among those who feel overwhelmed by or skeptical of the current tech trajectory, creating spaces for shared knowledge and collective action.

Ultimately, the "Avoiding AI" movement, spearheaded by public librarians, highlights a crucial juncture in our relationship with technology. It underscores a growing desire for balance—to harness the genuine benefits of AI where appropriate, while vigorously defending individual autonomy, privacy, and environmental values against unchecked technological expansion. As these workshops continue to spread, they solidify the role of libraries as indispensable bulwarks of information literacy, adapting to new challenges and ensuring that, even in an era dominated by artificial intelligence, human choice remains paramount.