Bonus Edition: AI on Trial: How Algorithms Are Being Used to Ban Books

Equip students to see why automating censorship threatens intellectual freedom.

💡 Why This Matters

Banned Books Week shines a light on censorship—but this year, the story isn’t just about people. It’s about machines.

Districts across the U.S. have admitted to using ChatGPT and other AI tools to scan library catalogs for “sensitive” words like gender, race, or violence. The result? Books like Beloved and The Handmaid’s Tale flagged for removal—without context, nuance, or consideration.

This bonus edition gives you the tools to show students why this is a dangerous misuse of AI, how it threatens intellectual freedom, and what they can do to push back, along with a video overview of this week’s newsletters.