Librarians in US draw crowds with ‘Avoiding AI’ workshops as pushback against forced adoption grows

At libraries across the United States, workshops titled “Avoiding AI” are drawing unprecedented crowds, as people frustrated with the forced integration of artificial intelligence into everyday devices seek practical ways to opt out. The trend, first reported by TechCrunch, highlights a growing demand for digital sovereignty that resonates beyond the US, including among Indian users who face similar challenges with AI features embedded in smartphones, search engines and productivity tools.

The phenomenon began in Bangor, Maine, where librarian Hannah Cyrus developed a workshop after fielding increasing questions from patrons about how to disable AI features. “More and more, I was getting questions about, ‘How do I turn this stuff off? Why is it trying to write my emails for me? Why is it trying to summarise my one-sentence email that I can easily read?’” Cyrus told TechCrunch.

Her first Avoiding AI session attracted far more interest than her usual technology classes. “Usually, Cyrus’ classes like Intro to Computers get about a dozen attendees. But so many people expressed interest in her first Avoiding AI workshop that she had to cut off registration at 30 people, open a waitlist, and share the workshop on Zoom. Including the livestream, about 70 people attended each of Cyrus’ first two workshops,” according to the report.

The idea quickly spread. Charlie Bailey, a librarian in South Philadelphia, adapted Cyrus’s format for his own community. His workshop, held in a children’s library room, drew 20 adults and generated over 2,000 likes on the library’s Instagram post – a level of engagement the library rarely sees. Bailey told TechCrunch that he was inspired by “people’s frustration with AI tools being kind of forced onto them, and feeling like AI tools we didn’t ask for are suddenly everywhere in our lives.”

What the workshops cover

The hour-long sessions typically begin with a plain-language explanation of how AI chatbots and consumer AI tools work, including why some people might find them useful and why others may want to avoid them. The core of the workshop is practical: step-by-step instructions on how to disable AI features on popular platforms and devices.

Bailey walks attendees through turning off Apple Intelligence on iPhones and Google Gemini on Android devices, using a projector to show exact settings. He also shares tips such as appending “&udm=14” to a Google Search query to hide AI-generated results – a string of characters he writes on a whiteboard alongside the library’s teen Wi-Fi credentials.

Why people are attending

Attendees cited a range of reasons for joining the workshops. One participant named Johnny voiced concerns about data centres: “You have to go through all the trouble to buy a home in today’s world, and two years from now, there could be a data centre next to your house.” Another, Gabrielle, said she feels “AI shoved down my throat at work” and worries about environmental impact, though she added she is not against AI in medical breakthroughs.

The tone of the workshops is not anti-technology per se, but rather pro-choice. “I think the forced adoption of AI on people’s devices might be the straw that’s breaking the camel’s back in some ways,” Cyrus said. “The awareness has been growing for a long time that these products and these companies that make them have an outsized influence over us, and that we’re not really using these products in the way that we would like to.”

Both Cyrus and Bailey see their work as a form of digital literacy that empowers people to reclaim autonomy. “As a librarian, I think it’s important to see this as advancing digital literacy and helping people reclaim their autonomy over whether they want to use AI tools,” Bailey said.

Relevance for Indian readers

While the workshops are in the US, the underlying tension is global. Indian users of Google, Apple, Samsung and other platforms have also experienced the gradual, often mandatory integration of AI features into devices and services. Google’s Gemini is preloaded on many Android phones sold in India, and Apple Intelligence is expanding with iOS updates. The question of how to disable these features – or even whether one can fully do so – is increasingly common in Indian tech forums and social media.

The trend also parallels a broader push for digital rights in India, where concerns around data privacy, algorithmic bias and digital sovereignty are growing. The Avoid AI workshops offer a model for community-led digital literacy initiatives that could be adapted by Indian libraries, tech collectives or consumer groups.

Unanswered questions and caveats

The TechCrunch report is based on interviews with two librarians and a handful of attendees. It does not provide data on how many such workshops exist nationwide, nor does it track whether the trend is sustained beyond initial events. The workshops are concentrated in the US; there is no evidence of similar organised sessions in India yet. The story is a snapshot of a grassroots reaction rather than a systematic study of user sentiment.

Datos clave

Aspect	Details
Origin	Bangor Public Library, Maine, librarian Hannah Cyrus
Reach	First workshop: 70 attendees (in-person + livestream); second workshop similar
Spread	Adapted by Charlie Bailey in Philadelphia; Instagram post got 2,000+ likes
Core demand	Step-by-step guidance to disable AI features on Apple, Google, Samsung devices

Source: TechCrunch – “Librarians are hosting viral ‘Avoiding AI’ workshops for people who are fed up with Big Tech” (https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/25/librarians-are-hosting-viral-avoiding-ai-workshops-for-people-who-are-fed-up-with-big-tech/)