10/01/2026
I'm seeing a lot of this kind of program out in the world.
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17jhoRsecy/
On a June Monday evening, the loudest sound in the South Philadelphia Library was the clicking of computer keyboards. Behind the busy island of computers, another group of people filtered into a classroom filled with green plastic chairs and soft ambient music: a space of quiet resistance.
“I’m tired of AI being shoved down my throat,” one woman said, puncturing the stillness.
She’d come to the right place: a workshop called “How to Not Use AI” led by librarian Charlie Bailey.
The Free Library of Philadelphia hosts hundreds of free workshops each year, many of which focus on digital literacy. Until now, those workshops have taught participants how to use programs such as Microsoft Excel and Quickbooks. Bailey’s workshops are the first to teach people how not to use technology. This may sound counterintuitive, but Bailey believes that showing people how to disable artificial intelligence features from common apps and websites aligns with the library’s mission of advancing digital literacy.
“We’re constantly helping people navigate technology,” he says, “I see this as part of that in that it’s helping people reclaim their autonomy over the technology they use and decide if they want to use certain tools.”
➡️ Read the full story at https://gridphilly.com/blog-home/2026/09/01/south-philly-librarian-teaches-people-how-to-not-use-ai/
✍️ + 📸 Kathryn Rice
