"Mainlining AI into the Veins”? Library collections as data in the age of Extractive AI Capitalism
School: Information Studies
Supervisors: Prof. Paul Gooding (University of Glasgow); Prof. Melissa Terras, (University of Edinburgh); Dr. Sarah Amaes, Patrick Hart (NLS)
Keywords: Generative AI; Libraries; GLAM; Library Catalogues; OpenGLAM
About Jennifer’s Research:
Since 2023, there has been an explosion in AI-generated content produced by Generative AI and Large Language Models. Many GenAI companies have been criticised for extractive AI practices grounded in late-stage capitalism, incentivising decisions that maximise shareholder profits without considering human agency and autonomy, extracting data (Eve, 2024) and natural resources (Lehuedé, 2024). At the same time, libraries have sought to make their collections openly available as datasets (Padilla et al., 2018), building on assumptions that open data principles are a fundamental good. However, given the legal and ethical controversies surrounding GenAI, we must consider how the library sector can respond to the challenges of integrating its data into AI systems.
CONNECT WITH JENNIFER
Email: j.volk.1@research.gla.ac.uk