A Skeptics Guide to AI +

Alison Macrina of the Library Freedom Project brings A Skeptics Guide to AI to the Parkway Central Library on Tuesday, October 27, at 12 PM. It's part of the library's Intro to AI Series, a 90-minute beginner-friendly program run through the Education, Philosophy and Religion Department. The series is built for people new to artificial intelligence—from those who didn't realize the everyday tools they use are 'AI' to first-timers chatting with a bot like Claude.

Macrina frames the talk around an ethics-based framework. She starts by sketching the problems that come with widespread AI adoption, then walks through the major consumer-facing tools and AI integrations. She closes with practical resources for resisting hype-driven adoption and for building ethical approaches to AI engagement and refusal. The Library Freedom Project provides accessible public education aimed at cutting through AI's marketing and helping communities resist Big Tech's overreach.

It's worth noting the setting: the library holds a historic pamphlet collection on the subject running from the mid-1700s to the late 1900s, so the conversation sits inside a building that's been archiving these kinds of debates for centuries. The talk is in Room 108 on the first floor of the Parkway Central Library, 1901 Vine Street, between 19th and 20th Streets in Philadelphia.