Surge in "Avoiding AI" Workshops at Libraries Reflects Growing Distrust in Big Tech

Libraries across the United States are experiencing an unprecedented demand for workshops titled “Avoiding AI.” These workshops focus on teaching practical steps to disable AI features like Apple Intelligence and Gemini, drawing crowds of individuals skeptical about the forced implementation of AI tools by large tech corporations. According to Amanda Silberling of TechCrunch AI, librarians hosting these workshops have never before witnessed such a surge in interest.

Inside the Workshops

In a library located in South Philadelphia, librarian Charlie Bailey conducts workshops where participants, smartphones in hand, learn step-by-step how to disable Apple Intelligence and Gemini features. The venue is a classroom designed for children, but the roughly 20 adult attendees are learning not ABCs but skills to “avoid” AI.

Bailey explained to TechCrunch that the workshops stem from public frustration with the imposition of AI tools. “People are frustrated with having AI tools forced upon them without their consent. These tools are showing up in every aspect of their lives, even though they never asked for them,” Bailey said.

The workshops, which last about an hour, begin with an overview of how AI chatbots and consumer-oriented AI tools work. Following this, participants are guided step-by-step through disabling specific features on major technology platforms and devices, with instructions projected on a screen.

The Librarian’s Perspective

Bailey sees these workshops as part of the broader mission of advancing digital literacy and helping people regain control over their use of AI tools. “As librarians, our role is to empower people to make informed decisions about whether or not to use AI tools,” Bailey explained. He emphasized that the workshops are especially crucial in scenarios where avoiding such tools is increasingly challenging due to designs that appear to enforce adoption.

Bailey was inspired to start his workshops after learning about a similar initiative by Hannah Cyrus, a librarian from Maine. Following the publication of Cyrus’s academic paper on her workshop concept, dozens of librarians worldwide reached out to her for guidance. “In all my years of work, I’ve never experienced anything like this. I’ve never had people email me asking for my ‘Intro to Computers’ slide deck,” Cyrus said, expressing her astonishment.

Unexpected Response

At Bangor Public Library, Cyrus has been inundated with questions about technology, including, “How do I turn off this AI feature?” and “Why is it trying to write my emails for me or summarize a single sentence?” She attributes the growing curiosity to the overhyped media coverage of AI products. In her view, the workshops provide an excellent opportunity to educate people on the basics of how these technologies work and explain how to opt out if they do not wish to use AI.

Typically, her introductory computer classes attract a dozen or so participants. However, the inaugural “Avoiding AI” workshop reached its 30-person capacity, required a waiting list, and even included a Zoom livestream. Altogether, around 70 people attended each of the first two workshops. This overwhelming demand defies the usual expectations for library events and highlights a rising skepticism toward AI among general consumers.

A New Phase in Digital Literacy

Both Bailey and Cyrus consider these workshops an extension of digital literacy. Libraries have historically provided communities with fundamental digital skills like internet navigation, online security, and privacy protection. Teaching people how to opt out of AI features is seen as the next evolution of these efforts.

What sets “Avoiding AI” apart from earlier digital literacy initiatives is its focus on teaching people not how to use a feature, but how to disable it. According to Cyrus, “No one sees any value in a feature that summarizes a one-sentence email.” This rejection by users underscores critical flaws in the design and rollout strategies for current AI products.

Growing Distrust of Forced AI Integration

AI features like Apple Intelligence and Gemini are often enabled by default with operating system updates, leading users to unknowingly interact with AI. Apple Intelligence, gradually rolled out with iOS 18, is a prime example. Many users express frustration at discovering these features operating in the background without their explicit consent. This “design by default” approach has fueled the backlash driving attendance at these workshops.

Bailey’s comment that “AI tools are suddenly showing up in every corner of daily life” accurately captures the scenario where tools like Gemini are integrated into Gmail and Google Docs, and Apple Intelligence automates tasks like notifications or image generation. Even though users did not explicitly opt into these features, they find them prominently embedded in their devices, sparking discomfort.

Libraries’ Evolving Role

For decades, public libraries have been central to providing access to new technologies, offering services like early internet access, computer use, and smartphone tutorials for seniors. However, these new workshops mark a reversal of that role—they are now supporting “opting out” of technology.

This shift indicates that libraries are moving beyond traditional information dissemination to a more nuanced role of helping individuals maintain a healthy relationship with technology. The high demand for the “Avoiding AI” workshops, far exceeding that for standard IT literacy classes, suggests a significant population not simply unable but unwilling to engage with AI.

Visualizing AI Aversion

This phenomenon aligns with recent reports, such as the study revealing that “37% of young people express aversion to AI-generated content.” The growing resistance among younger demographics is not merely a reflexive rejection of new technology but a reasoned response to the current state of AI implementation.

Most workshop participants maintain a clear rationale for distancing themselves from AI. The questions posed at Cyrus’s workshops focus on “how to turn it off” rather than abstract debates about AI’s ethical implications. Through direct experience, many users have concluded that AI does not add value to their tasks.

Default AI Settings Under Scrutiny

The default activation of AI features like Apple Intelligence and Gemini has sparked privacy concerns. While such defaults are designed to “introduce” users to AI, the fact that these systems may process and learn from user data raises significant issues.

Under regulations like the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Japan’s Personal Information Protection Act, explicit consent is often required for data processing. However, enabling AI features by default at the operating system level creates a gray area in consent quality, further fueling mistrust. The surge in library workshops reflects this growing concern over opaque consent practices.

Editorial Opinion

The rise of “Avoiding AI” workshops serves as a wake-up call for the AI industry. In the short term, as long as major platforms continue to enable AI by default, demand for this type of reverse digital literacy will likely grow. Companies need to move beyond promoting AI’s benefits and make the opt-out process more transparent and user-friendly. This shift will require transitioning from “selling” AI to “letting users choose.”

In the long term, widespread opt-outs may force AI companies to grapple with the reality of “unused AI.” The fact that users are proactively learning and implementing ways to disable AI highlights serious flaws in product-market fit. The role of public libraries as hubs for critical engagement with technology poses an important opportunity to rethink the relationship between society and tech. From our perspective, AI companies must take consumer resistance seriously. The overwhelming demand for opt-out solutions underscores a fundamental gap in how these technologies are designed and deployed.

References

• “Librarians are hosting viral ‘Avoiding AI’ workshops for people who are fed up with Big Tech”, by Amanda Silberling — TechCrunch AI, 2026-07-25T16:00:00.000Z (ARR)
• Source URL: https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/25/librarians-are-hosting-viral-avoiding-ai-workshops-for-people-who-are-fed-up-with-big-tech/