An Iowa school district is using AI to ban books

It certainly didn't take long for AI's other shoe to drop, what with the emergent technology already being perverted to commit confidence scams and generate spam content. We can now add censorship to that list as the Globe Gazette reports the school board of Mason City, Iowa has begun leveraging AI technology to cultivate lists of potentially bannable books from the district's libraries ahead of the 2023/24 school year. In May, the Republican-controlled state legislature passed, and Governor Kim Reynolds subsequently signed, Senate File 496 (SF 496), which enacted sweeping changes to the state's education curriculum. Specifically it limits what books can be made available in school libraries and classrooms, requiring titles to be "age appropriate” and without “descriptions or visual depictions of a sex act,” per Iowa Code 702.17.But ensuring that every book in the district's archives adhere to these new rules is quickly turning into a mammoth undertaking. "Our classroom and school libraries have vast collections, consisting of texts purchased, donated, and found," Bridgette Exman, assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction at Mason City Community School District, said in a statement. "It is simply not feasible to read every book and filter for these new requirements." As such, the Mason City School District is bringing in AI to parse suspect texts for banned ideas and descriptions since there are simply too many titles for human reviewers to cover on their... Continue reading at 'Engadget'

[ Engadget | 2023-08-14 20:25:41 UTC ]
News tagged with: #sexual content #important things #part-time indian #libraries

Other Publishing stories related to: 'An Iowa school district is using AI to ban books'


For Banned Books Week, I read the country’s 10 most challenged books. The gay penguins did not corrupt me.

The fact that these insightful, helpful and encouraging books are meeting such resistance is a distressing sign. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2020-09-28 12:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #challenged books #gay penguins


NLT and Morrisons give free books to school children for World Book Day

The National Literary Trust and the Morrisons Foundation will donate more than 7,300 brand new books to primary schools across the UK to mark World Book Day. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-03-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #school children #primary schools


Scottish Book Trust to donate half a million books to primary schools

Scottish Book Trust will give away half a million books to pupils in Primary 1-3 as part of Book Week Scotland, which is taking place this week. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-11-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #million books #primary schools #taking place


PRH Bolsters We Need Diverse Books for Banned Books Week

Penguin Random House has partnered with the publishing diversity group on a social media campaign as a part of its support for Banned Books Week, held this year September 23-29. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-09-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #diverse books


School and Library Spotlight: How Schools Buy and Use E-Books

A snapshot of today’s educational ebook market, and where influencers think it is heading. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-08-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


World Book Day: British and Irish children head to school dressed as book-based characters

World Book Day is celebrated on March 5 in Britain and Ireland and an important part of the day is children dressing up as a literary character for school. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2015-03-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #important part


Book ban campaigners deliver "hundreds of books" to MoJ

English PEN and the Howard League for Penal Reform today (11th December) delivered hundreds of books to the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to send on to prisoners. Authors Francesca Simon and Miranda France joined representatives of the charities, who wore Christmas-themed clothing and offered mince... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-12-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #english pen #howard league #london headquarters


The Cases Against Book Bans

After a string of wins, potentially significant developments now loom in several key book-banning lawsuits. PW rounded up the status of some of the more closely watched book banning cases. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-05-10 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book bans


Judge Weighs Preliminary Injunction in Alaska Book Banning Lawsuit

The hearing comes nearly year after administrators in the Mat-Su district, located just north of Anchorage, responded to a handful of parental complaints by pulling 56 titles from school libraries without any formal review. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-04-01 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #school libraries #libraries


Books on the impact of the internet and AI are finalists for the first-ever Women's Nonfiction Prize

Books about the dizzying impact of the internet and artificial intelligence are among finalists for a new book prize that aims to help fix the gender imbalance in nonfiction publishing Continue reading at ABC News

[ ABC News | 2024-03-27 18:22:41 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #nonfiction prize #artificial intelligence #gender imbalance #book prize


AI at London Book Fair: European Publishers Cheer the EU Act’s Passage

The widely applauded AI Act gets its anticipated EU parliament approval during the run of London Book Fair. The post AI at London Book Fair: European Publishers Cheer the EU Act’s Passage appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2024-03-14 10:23:43 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #post ai #london book


Llano County Public Librarian Fired for Not Banning Books Sues County, Library Commissioners

A Llano County librarian who refused to ban books at the direction of the board and county has filed a lawsuit with a firm making a name for themselves protecting libraries nationwide. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2024-03-05 15:19:15 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ban books #libraries


RuPaul Is Sending a Rainbow Bus to Give Away Books Targeted by Bans

The star, whose show “RuPaul’s Drag Race” has an international following, is one of the founders of a new online bookstore promoting underrepresented authors. The giveaways are part of its outreach. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2024-03-04 15:05:30 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #drag race #bookstore


Bill to End Book Bans on Table in Minnesota

Minnesota's HF 3782 would not only aim to end book bans in public schools and libraries but would emphasize the knowledge, training, and expertise of librarians. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2024-02-29 14:32:52 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #public schools #libraries


Freedom to Read Advocates Blast Alabama Library's Ban on LGBTQ Book Purchases

The criticism comes after the Autauga-Prattville Public Library’s newly appointed board enacted a new policy suspending the purchase of children’s or young adult books that include "sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender discordance," a move the National Coalition Against Censorship... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-02-23 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #sexual orientation #gender identity #national coalition


Tor Books Criticized for Use of AI-Generated Art in 'Gothikana' Cover Design

The use of AI-generated assets in the cover art for the dark academia novel 'Gothikana' by RuNyx, originally self-published and reissued by Tor Books' romance imprint Bramble, has set off a debate about the role of AI in publishing. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-02-21 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #cover design #cover art #originally self-published #tor books


What Do Parents Really Think of Libraries and Book Bans?: Survey Results

The results are in for three surveys of more than 3,000 parents asking about their perceptions of libraries, librarians, and book bans. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2024-01-18 16:40:10 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book bans #libraries


Inaugural Eleanor Roosevelt Banned Book Awards Set for Next Month

On February 17, the Eleanor Roosevelt Center and the Fisher Center at Bard College will host the first-ever Eleanor Roosevelt Banned Book Awards; in addition, Judy Blume will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award for Bravery in Literature. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-01-18 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #judy blume #banned book


Veristage Launches Insight, an AI Platform for Book Publishers

Insight offers publishers AI tools, including large language models such as ChatGPT and Claude, to analyze documents and generate metrics, editorial and marketing assets, sales material, and other content. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-01-17 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book publishers


In Key Win, Judge Says Escambia County Book Banning Lawsuit Can Proceed

After a January 10 hearing, judge T. Kent Wetherell denied a motion by the Escambia County School Board to dismiss the case, suggesting that school officials cannot simply pull books they find objectionable from library shelves. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-01-11 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #library shelves