Mason City School District in Iowa (US) has a big job to do. A new law says they have to check all the books in their libraries. They must make sure none of the books have anything in them that’s not suitable for students’ ages. They also have to take out books that show or describe sexual acts.

The usage of AI for banning knowledge creates certain problems in the ethical side of things

This job is too big for people to do on their own. Bridgette Exman, who helps run the school district, said, “We have so many books, we can’t read them all to check for these things.”

AI

So, the school district is using AI, or artificial intelligence, to help. They make a list of books that might have problems. Then they use computer software to check those books. The software can tell if there is anything not allowed in the book.

Exman explained that they have more important things to do than spend time trying to figure out what to do with books. But they must follow the law. Their main goal is to have a process that makes sense and is fair.

So far, the AI has found 19 books that may need to be removed. Some of these books are very well-known, like “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood and “The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini.

This shows how AI can be used in different parts of our lives. But it also might make people wonder if it’s okay to use computers to make choices about what students can read. The way Mason City is doing things might make other places think about using AI in schools too. It could start a big talk all over the country about computers, rules, and learning.

RELATED:

(Via)