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Vol. 42 No. 6 — Nov/Dec 2025

A lot of times, the conversation around ai has a negative tone, like when people say, “we’re creating SkyNet just like in the terminator films!” These fears are warranted, but at the same time, there are always two sides of a coin.

Until now, I’ve stayed out of the conversation on AI. I haven’t seen any uses for it that I’ve needed or wanted in my life. I’ve also seen the Terminator films, and I really, really believe that art is there not only to move us, but also to warn us about possible future paths. But then again, who knows? I have an open mind, and that’s why we are here today. To help myself better understand the topic, I chatted with four amazing library and information professionals. My hope is that my questions and their intelligent answers can help you on your own personal AI journey.

HOW DO YOU CURRENTLY USE ANY AI TOOLS IN YOUR DAY-TO-DAY WORK OR GENERAL LIFE?

JOE O’BRIEN: I’ll sometimes use AI to help me brainstorm. For example, I was recently making a video for the library’s social media, but the specific song I want ed to use on the soundtrack wasn’t available on Instagram. So, I asked ChatGPT to list 50 other songs that had similar qualities (like “dreamy, instrumental, up beat, acoustic”) and got some great suggestions that might’ve been much more time-consuming to find using, say, Google search or Spotify.

I also find it helpful for readers’ advisory if a library patron asks me for recommendations similar to books or authors that I’m not too familiar with. Years ago, I would’ve used EBSCO’s NoveList database, but I’ve found ChatGPT to be much quicker and easier. Of course, when using AI for this kind of thing, I always make sure to double-check that its suggestions are in fact real, unlike many of the suggestions on the Chicago Sun-Times’ summer reading list.

I’ve played around with generative AI (gen AI) for text and images a little in the past, out of curiosity. But since I genuinely enjoy writing and creating things myself, I won’t rely on gen AI for mak ing anything I really care about. Personally, I’m not totally against the idea of AI serving as yet another digital tool to help human artists augment their work, as long as it’s used thoughtfully, responsibly, and in moderation.

DARRELL W. GUNTER: In my work with Gadget Software’s TopicLake Insights (topiclake.com), AI is central to our mission of transforming how scholarly, regulatory, and business information is discovered and used. We use AI to structure unstruc tured content, extract metadata, and vi sualize complex topic relationships across research, compliance, and public policy. This helps institutions—from publishers to universities—to make faster, smart er decisions based on actionable insights. Personally, I use AI tools for summarizing academic content, preparing outreach materials, and identifying patterns in industry trends. AI is no longer an add-on—it’s an embedded part of how we innovate and communicate across the scholarly information ecosystem.

KURT BRENNEMAN: Right now, I don’t use AI tools in my day-to-day work. I work for the Greensboro Public Library, but in an uncommon library job: answering citizens’ requests for public records of our city. I follow the public records policy approved by our City Council and also written procedures. My responses must comply with North Carolina’s public records law. More importantly, my interactions with citizens follow Greensboro’s H.E.A.R.T. standard of customer service. I Hear, Empathize, Assess and adapt, Respond respectfully, and Thank. Warm, personal attention is the hallmark of public library service.

However, I have experimented with Google Gemini. For example, I asked it to respond to a request for house history records. Generally, our city doesn’t collect deeds, building plans, builders’ names, and other information about homes. Gemini’s response included resources new to me, plus excellent research tips. I was impressed!

SKIP PRICHARD: I use it every day, personally and professionally. AI is woven into how I think, how I work, and even how I relax. I use AI to jump-start strategic thinking, to explore different perspectives quickly, to write speeches, to test marketing ideas, and to accelerate creative work. I’ve created music with AI. I’ve opened international events by generating realistic video of me speaking in the audience’s language. Imagine opening a conference in Japan—me speaking Japanese fluently and confidently—with perfect lip sync. That used to be science fiction.

I’ve introduced AI tools to professors and to CEOs. In one case, a group of faculty left the room stunned by how their teaching, research, and writing could evolve. Another time, I showed a room full of executives how to use AI not just as a toy, but as a powerful co-pilot to accelerate insight, improve operations, and spark innovation. One told me afterward, “That changed how I lead.”

I recently sat next to a lawyer on a flight and shared how AI could give him more time in his day and make him a better adjunct professor. He said it turned a torturous delayed flight into a master class.

Inside OCLC, our teams use AI in many ways, from product development to user support to translation. We embed it into systems, but also explore its use in ideation, coding, analytics, and search. We teach ethical use, security, privacy, and intellectual property. You can’t be a responsible leader today and ignore that part of the conversation. We are past the point of experimenting for fun. This is strategic.  

PLEASE GIVE US YOUR BIG “THIS IS WHAT THE FUTURE WITH AI WILL LOOK LIKE” PREDICTION.

O’BRIEN: I’ve never been a great predictor, but here goes: I reckon that AI’s evolution will look similar to the internet’s, just exponentially faster. For better and for worse, a lot of jobs currently done by humans will become automated, so hopefully a lot of the money that companies will save as a result will go toward employing humans in other ways. In terms of gen AI, we’ll have to stay constantly vigilant about those who’d use it for nefarious purposes.

GUNTER: In the scholarly and academic world, AI will usher in a new era of augmented discovery, transparent knowledge mapping, and intellectual continuity. I predict a future in which every institution— be it a publisher, university, or research agency—has AI systems that preserve and surface the intellectual capital of its workforce. As seasoned editors, librarians, or researchers retire, their decision logic, in sights, and expertise won’t be lost—they’ll be encoded and made accessible through AI. Tools like Gadget Software’s TopicLake Insights will help organizations visualize and leverage this knowledge across depart ments and generations, ensuring that innovation is never disrupted by turnover.

BRENNEMAN: In 2024, my city, the city of Greensboro, joined the GovAI Coalition (sanjoseca.gov/your-government/departments-offices/information-technology/ai-reviews-algorithm-register/govai-coalition), a membership organization of more than 600 government agencies, because it “supports the City’s desire to leverage AI and other technologies to provide enhanced services and improve residents’ quality of life.” So here goes: The future with AI means AI will become the standard interface between citizens and government agencies. AI tools will retrieve citizens’ records and information, apply relevant regulations, and help citizens with the span of services, from obtaining a traffic accident report to applying for benefits. No longer will citizens dread government bureaucracies. Citizens won’t recognize AI tools when they engage with their local motor vehicles office, tax authority, or zoning department. An AI interface will be the norm.

PRICHARD: Here’s my bet: In a few years, the phrase “I used AI” will sound as odd as “I used electricity.” It will be invisible in frastructure, built into nearly everything. AI will quietly anticipate your needs. It will rewrite how we interact with the world, from personalized medicine and education to how we shop, work, and govern.

The future with AI won’t likely be ro bots taking over, but combining AI with robotics opens endless possibilities. It’ll be humans thinking deeper, reaching farther, and acting faster with intelligent systems constantly augmenting our abilities. But here’s the catch: The gap will widen between those who understand how to harness AI and those who don’t. The difference won’t be about access, but it will be about mindset.  

A LOT OF TIMES, THE CONVERSATION AROUND AI HAS A NEGATIVE TONE, LIKE WHEN PEOPLE SAY, “WE’RE CREATING SKYNET JUST LIKE IN THE TERMINATOR FILMS!” THESE FEARS ARE WARRANTED, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THERE ARE ALWAYS TWO SIDES OF A COIN. WHAT POSITIVE IMPACT DO YOU THINK AI WILL HAVE ON HUMANS AND SOCIETY?

O’BRIEN: Aside from doing all those mundane tasks that should give us humans a lot more free time, I understand that AI can be very beneficial for medical professionals when making diagnoses and analyzing data. So, I’m optimistic that AI will be able to find cures that have so far eluded human intelligence and end up saving millions of lives in the future. I’m also crossing my fingers that AI-driven cars will help make traffic jams a relic of the past.

GUNTER: AI has the power to liberate hu man creativity and intellectual equity. For scholarly publishing and academia, this means surfacing voices that were previously buried in metadata gaps or behind paywalls. AI can bridge disciplines, identify emerging topics, and help publishers better serve global scholarly communities. For society at large, AI can translate complex scientific findings into accessible language, empower citizen scholarship, and drive evidence-based policy. When used ethically, AI becomes a tool for inclusion, education, and sustainable progress.

BRENNEMAN: AI’s positive impact will be the discernment of previously unknown art, scholarship, history, and scientific knowledge now hidden in the entirety of digital information. Prior to joining the Greensboro Public Library, I worked at the Records Analysis Unit of the State Archives of North Carolina. There, I learned about the challenge taken on by archivists. How do you process and study digital information when so much exists? AI may be the answer. It will automate the cataloging of digital records. It will extend and deepen large language models with information from archival digital records. In turn, researchers will use AI for querying these models. The result will be discoveries in many fields.

PRICHARD: AI has the potential to unlock genius. A student in a rural village can learn quantum physics with a personalized tutor. An artist with no formal training can compose symphonies. Someone who is paraplegic can control machines with thought. Use just one example: When Google quietly rolled out NotebookLM, I couldn’t believe the possibilities ahead. If you are an auditory learner and struggle with reading, you can now upload web sites, textbooks, articles, and lectures and sit and listen to a conversation. Amazing.

Think about what happened when the printing press made books available. Or when electricity lit the night. Or when the internet opened access to information. Each time, we expanded what it meant to be human. AI, when developed with care and used with wisdom, will do that again at an unprecedented scale.

HOW DO YOU THINK AI WILL CHANGE THE WAY THAT PUBLIC AND/OR ACADEMIC LIBRARIES WILL OPERATE?

O’BRIEN: In addition to what I mentioned earlier about readers’ advisory, AI could eventually handle a good chunk of the reference questions we receive from patrons (as long as AI’s fact-checking abilities improve considerably over the current standards). AI can also help librarians level up in the collection development department to give us a better idea of what books and media we should acquire based on our circulation statistics.

GUNTER: AI will redefine libraries as dynamic hubs of intelligent navigation and preservation. Academic and public libraries will leverage AI to offer personalized discovery pathways, recommend research based on learning goals, and connect diverse content collections in real time. With tools like Gadget Software’s TopicLake Insights, libraries will no longer be passive repositories—they’ll become active engines of exploration, curation, and interdisciplinary knowledge synthe sis. Librarians will increasingly serve as AI facilitators, guiding researchers through complex landscapes of content and ensuring ethical engagement with AI-driven tools.

BRENNEMAN: Public librarians specialize in the personal greeting, sympathetic ear, and acceptance. As I mentioned, the city of Greensboro asks us to hear, empathize, assess and adapt, respond respectfully, and thank in all of our interactions. These qualities are the essence of public library service. No matter how lifelike AI becomes, it cannot duplicate the personal quality of public libraries. Public libraries will deploy AI tools for after-hours reference services and the extension of services to non-library locations. However, AI tools must converse with a human voice, with guardrails for accuracy and freedom from bias. Public libraries are warm, friendly, and trustworthy. AI tools for public libraries must be this too. Phil Shapiro describes such a tool in his News Break, “Building Bridges: How AI Can Help Libraries Deliver Culturally Competent Services” (newsbreaks.infotoday.com/NewsBreaks/Building-Bridges-How-AI-Can-Help-Libraries-Deliver-Culturally-Competent-Services-169794.asp).

PRICHARD: Libraries will be AI-powered knowledge hubs—not just places to access information, but engines for understanding. Public libraries will use AI to offer hyper-personalized services recommending books, helping with resumes, translating documents, or summarizing complex news. AI will help libraries extend their reach to every corner of the community, especially those left behind by the digital divide. Academic libraries will transform into research accelerators. They’ll help scholars find patterns across disciplines, evaluate source credibility, and even co-author ideas with machine intelligence. AI will help unlock archives, bring forgotten texts to life, and connect data in new ways.

Recent research we conducted shows that libraries are among the most trusted institutions. This will continue, with libraries acting as trusted guides in a world full of deepfakes and misinformation. They won’t just lend books—they’ll lend clarity.

HOW DO YOU THINK AI WILL CHANGE THE WAY THAT EVERYDAY PEOPLE WILL GO ABOUT THEIR LIVES?

O’BRIEN: We’ll have a lot more time, energy, and mental bandwidth with so many things being automatically handled for us. At the same time, we’ll have to use more of that bandwidth discerning fact from fiction, so maybe it’ll all cancel out. I imagine life will ultimately (in like 50 years, give or take a couple of decades) be like Philip K. Dick’s novel Ubik, or The Matrix, where the boundaries between reality and artificiality are constantly shifting. It’ll be magical, and it’ll be unsettling—though by the time that happens, maybe we’ll be so accustomed to it, we won’t mind so much.

GUNTER: AI will quietly but powerfully enhance how individuals learn, decide, and contribute to society. For the everyday researcher, student, or faculty member, AI will remove friction from scholarly workflows—automating formatting, summarizing literature, managing citations, and identifying relevant new findings. In daily life, AI will help individuals track regulatory changes, understand scientific developments, and make informed choices about health, education, and finance. But most critically, AI will enable organizations to preserve and scale their collective intelligence, allowing institutional knowledge to remain accessible and impactful, no matter who comes or goes.

BRENNEMAN: Your search engine shows you where and when movies are playing in town; your smartphone directs you around a bad traffic jam; an online shopping platform compares different appliances and encourages you to purchase immediately. AI tools will continue the trend of making everyday life easier. AI may become the only interface for all information needs and the tool you use when you need to quickly create something to your specifications. This proliferation of AI-generated content will give deep-felt poignancy to human creations. One of my nieces is painting and drawing to build her portfolio for her art school applications. Her human creativity, in a world of AI-created digital content, strikes me as courageous.

PRICHARD: Some people won’t notice AI. They’ll just notice that things get easier, faster, and more personalized. Your phone will schedule your life more smoothly. Your car will know your mood. Your healthcare will be predictive instead of reactive. Your grocery order will show up before you remember you need it. And behind the scenes, AI will power the services we rely on, from traffic systems to energy grids to emergency responses. The average person will touch AI hundreds of times a day without knowing it.